National Preparedness Month- September

I'm a little late to the game in posting this, but September is National Preparedness Month.

If you've thought about prepping, wanted to get ahead of things a bit, or are simply concerned about the forecast of a tough winter, now is the time to begin!

I'm going to try and post information, lists, hints and tips to help you get started or get moving again on your preps. I can't promise I'll do it daily, and I hope that if you have ideas or hints to share, that you'll chime in.

Preps aren't supposed to be about just one type of disaster. Weather conditions, gas prices, unexpected unemployment, unexpected extended houseguests, political unrest, trucker strikes, and so on- any of these can tip the balance for most people into moving from the 'inconvenienced' state to 'dire straits' within a relatively short period of time. What used to be considered a part of normal life (a pantry, alternate heat sources, light sources, non-electric entertainment) has been shuffled to a 'historical' status- due in part to the convenience of online ordering and internet shopping.

There is nothing that says you have to go full-bore survivalist. Keeping kerosene lamps and flashlights next to your spare LED bulbs in the linen closet seems to be a smart way to go about things. It may be fun to watch TV shows and read books about people living off the grid, but it's not practical for many people.

Whether you're just beginning your preps, or have been canning food for years, it is always good to start with a list. A list gives you direction and gets you thinking. Do not make the mistake of following the list if it does not fit your lifestyle. A prepping list should NEVER be static- it is a guideline that needs to be as flexible as your life is. You need to fill in and/or remove items that do not reflect your life. People with small children will have different lists and needs than a retired couple with medical issues.

Let's start out slow. This is the link to the government's Preparations page, and their advice of how and what to do. I would suggest that you look at it as the first stepping-stone in your preparedness. It is woefully incomplete and short-sighted, but it will also help you to begin or restart your prepping.

https://www.ready.gov/september

I'm a rookie by most standards but I'll offer this:

Don't overestimate the amount of calories you have stored in your preps.

I use a worksheet to calculate the minimum daily adult calories required to survive for more than a few weeks to determine how long we can last. Things changed when I became a grandparent as we picked up more than just the one extra.

It's currently less than I would like without harvesting or barter.

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Originally Posted by brutal

I'm a rookie by most standards but I'll offer this:

Don't overestimate the amount of calories you have stored in your preps.

I use a worksheet to calculate the minimum daily adult calories required to survive for more than a few weeks to determine how long we can last. Things changed when I became a grandparent as we picked up more than just the one extra.

It's currently less than I would like without harvesting or barter.

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This is great! Could you please share your worksheet here?

You bring up a great point, and one that should not be overlooked. If you're not sure how many people will be staying with you for an undetermined amount of time, you need to reassess how much food you're storing. Becoming a grandparent means big changes. Another factor is if you have relatives in the area- will they be coming over to your home? Determining how many people (and pets) will be at your home will help you start (or boost) your preps.

Time to eat some of the stuff on the zombie shelves, and do some restocking.
Time to order some batteries...
Time to freshen up some of the stored water supplies

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Originally Posted by TheGrey

This is great! Could you please share your worksheet here?

You bring up a great point, and one that should not be overlooked. If you're not sure how many people will be staying with you for an undetermined amount of time, you need to reassess how much food you're storing. Becoming a grandparent means big changes. Another factor is if you have relatives in the area- will they be coming over to your home? Determining how many people (and pets) will be at your home will help you start (or boost) your preps.

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I will have to sanitize it a bit, and pull it from my massive guns-N-ammo inventory/gun build/reloading/all-in-one worksheet, but if I can find the time, I will share. Be forewarned, none of my sheets are super pretty or heavily coded and do oft require more manual updates than some prefer.

I started that particular worksheet as a cost comparison on a per calorie basis for the best deal on long term dehydrated goods and it morphed into "how long can we survive? What looks like a deal on some goods, really isn't when you dig deeper. It's surprising how calorie poor some of those cans are.


The kids only recently got stuck with another relative's little mutt. That dingo will look mighty tasty when the dried beans n rice run out. j/k lol

Longer term, we do have plans to bug further out to friend's with a well and big genset/fuel storage, but loading up all the guns/ammo will be the biggest challenge. While not hurting, the others don't have the same stockpile of some items that I do. [Coffee]

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Originally Posted by brutal

I will have to sanitize it a bit, and pull it from my massive guns-N-ammo inventory/gun build/reloading/all-in-one worksheet, but if I can find the time, I will share. Be forewarned, none of my sheets are super pretty or heavily coded and do oft require more manual updates than some prefer.

I started that particular worksheet as a cost comparison on a per calorie basis for the best deal on long term dehydrated goods and it morphed into "how long can we survive? What looks like a deal on some goods, really isn't when you dig deeper. It's surprising how calorie poor some of those cans are.


The kids only recently got stuck with another relative's little mutt. That dingo will look mighty tasty when the dried beans n rice run out. j/k lol

Longer term, we do have plans to bug further out to friend's with a well and big genset/fuel storage, but loading up all the guns/ammo will be the biggest challenge. While not hurting, the others don't have the same stockpile of some items that I do. [Coffee]

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Thank you! I'm thinking that if people can just see how some of our personal charts appear, they can adapt the idea for their own use. Then again, people can also google charts and spreadsheets for finding examples, so don't worry about taking the time to sanitize your charts- that sounds like a lot of work.

I never thought to divide food by caloric value- I can a lot of our food, so it's all divided into pints and quarts. As I cook for our family, I know how many meals 'X' number of cans will provide.


People, if you don't have a Pinterest account, you're missing out. IT'S NOT JUST FOR GIRLS.

Pinterest has many charts, tips and ideas for storage, saving money, and prepping. Make yourself an account. You'll be glad you did.

I just know where the preppers are. [Tooth]

I am doing some activities for the month (or at least trying) on Nextdoor. I will post the tasks here as well and if people want to do them, feel free. Most are pretty basic, but may open some peoples eyes and hopefully get some people thinking. The next one will be tomorrow (9/5).

IMO the biggest cataclysmic event no one is really prepared for, is scheduled to happen 11/8/16

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Originally Posted by cmailliard

I am doing some activities for the month (or at least trying) on Nextdoor. I will post the tasks here as well and if people want to do them, feel free. Most are pretty basic, but may open some peoples eyes and hopefully get some people thinking. The next one will be tomorrow (9/5).

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Fantastic!

Apartment living has its drawbacks. It's just me and the wife. We have ~30 lbs of dried rice and beans specifically set aside for "preps" in addition to everything else in the pantry. I keep 10 gallons of freshwater and ~5 gallons of grey water and rotate through it every 3-4 months. Wish I could keep triple that, but there's really nowhere to store it. Luckily we have a nice creek ~100 yards away from our door, so I think I'm ok for now.

My main to do item is to update the bugout bag. It's got some hardware, but I really need to get copies of all our important documents (on an encrypted USB drive) with paper copies of some of the more common ones, some cash, more food items, dedicated Nalgene bottles, etc. in to it. It's woefully underpacked right now. In the same vein, I need to get a better kit in my trunk. Right now I have a milk crate with workboots and socks, leather gloves, a reflective vest, headlamp, and jumper cables. I really need to prepare a proper "get home bag" for the car. More water, food, tools, insulation, small tube of sunblock, etc.

I'm clearly in the minority here, but I think the odds of society devolving to the point that we have gun battles in the street is approximately a big fat zero. My weapon "loadout" is my CCW and a spare mag. I could see grabbing an AR and throwing it in the trunk if it was a leisurely evacuation with 2+ hours notice, but in a real emergency (house on fire) I wouldn't even look at my guns. They can all stay locked up in the safe and insured. If they survive, great. If not, I've got a nice check coming to me from USAA.

Clang. I think you can find a surprising amount of space if you put your mind to it. Simple storage ideas are readily available at pinterest like the Grey suggested.

As far as gun battles. They happen around here without a crisis.

As far as my preps I'm working on several lists. Hopefully I can get 10% or more done this month.

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Originally Posted by Wulf202

Clang. I think you can find a surprising amount of space if you put your mind to it. Simple storage ideas are readily available at pinterest like the Grey suggested.

As far as gun battles. They happen around here without a crisis.

As far as my preps I'm working on several lists. Hopefully I can get 10% or more done this month.

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You may be right, but guns n ammo are heavy. I prefer to be light and mobile. I've spent enough of my life humping around heavy shit.

And as far as space goes, it's a trade off. Do I want to have a large water stash? Or a peaceful marriage :)

Fair enough. Hard to prep if the other half isn't on board.

If you have a standard water heater you've got an extra 40-75 gallons on hand with a few tools

I never rotate my water. Too much of a pain, is it even necessary?

Nope unless you store it near something like gas that will permiate thru the container walls. Water only goes flat if done correctly

Let's talk information, specifically Social Media.

I know many here have radios and such, but I also know many here shun social media. To embrace one but neglect the other is not having a well rounded communications plan. Social media is an intel tool. Just because you have an account does not make you starbuck sippin, stocking hat wearing hipster. Use the tools that are available, whatever they are. Cities, Counties, and even the State use social media very effectively to pass information. Why would you not want information in a disaster? Use it, don't use, but at least you have it to make a better decision.

It all comes down to who you follow. I use Twitter almost exclusively for following Police, Fire, EMS, Emergency Management, CDC, FEMA, DHS, etc. You must follow the right people to get the right information. Use the search tool in SM to help determine if something is accurate. A perfect example was something in New York. Some guy heard a plane landed on the BQE, he went to Twitter and searched and started finding posts about it. Now here is where some basic knowledge is important in SM. If all you are seeing are "Re-Tweets" someone just reposting the exact same thing as someone else, that is not a verified source of info. If you are seeing a bunch of different people posting the same thing, worded differently and not re-Tweeting that is more verified information. Then start looking for media, pictures and video, that is now pretty real. This is how in less than 8 minutes he was able to confirm a plane did land on the BQE, Police, Fire/EMS were not even on scene yet and he had the info he needed. This is all real time intel that is at your fingertips.

When it comes the public officials using SM it is even more important. They now live by the rule that gunfighters do - Fast is Good, but Accuracy is Final. They have to be fast, if not whistledicks start using the incident hashtag to spread bad information. During Sandy, FEMA had to create a webpage just to disprove bad info on social media. They did not have an adequate SM plan and it hurt them in their response. But they need to be accurate as well. No more are we waiting for press conferences, they are pushing accurate info out pretty quickly, they have to. So again why would you not want an Intel tool at your fingertips?

Will there be misinformation? Of course, but this is were practice (just like everything) is important. You can start to see the stupidity in some posts and filter those out. You can start to recognize someone who is just spouting bullshit and not actually there. It just takes some practice to learn how to sort out the BS.

Knowledge is power, use the tools that are available to give you every bit of intel you can get.

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Originally Posted by ClangClang

You may be right, but guns n ammo are heavy. I prefer to be light and mobile. I've spent enough of my life humping around heavy shit.

And as far as space goes, it's a trade off. Do I want to have a large water stash? Or a peaceful marriage :)

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Understood! There are a lot of sneaky places to stash water- under the bed, in the very corners of closets, beneath towels in the bathroom vanity, etc. With the amount of dried rice and beans that you have on hand, you'll need a great deal of water and time to reconstitute the food.

Do you both eat a lot of rice and beans? The rule of thumb is to store only the foods you eat. Food fatigue is a genuine problem, and if you are snowed in without electricity or gas for your oven, how many meals of rice and beans will you be able to bear before either of you lose interest in food?

It is difficult and frustrating to be the only one of a duo when attempting preps. Usually it's because the partner doesn't believe in the necessity, or finds it distasteful due to a "zombie apocalypse" or something that has no place in one's idea of society. Coupled with living in an apartment with limited space, you've an uphill battle.

It may be that you'll have to approach this from a different angle- be it using a sale price on canned peaches as an excuse to pick up one or two extra, for instance. Or maybe talking with her about your concern with how things are going in Venezuela. Is your wife the one that takes care of the grocery shopping for the household? Any idea why she is reluctant to prep? Is she concerned that you will turn your home into a hoarder's bunker?

As far as traveling light, I fully understand that! Do you have a bug out location selected? Do you have people that you can stay with? I remember how quickly things went on their ear with the massive rains up in Boulder county. I was at a conference and the roads and escape routes were being washed away.

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Originally Posted by cmailliard

Let's talk information, specifically Social Media.

I know many here have radios and such, but I also know many here shun social media. To embrace one but neglect the other is not having a well rounded communications plan. Social media is an intel tool. Just because you have an account does not make you starbuck sippin, stocking hat wearing hipster. Use the tools that are available, whatever they are. Cities, Counties, and even the State use social media very effectively to pass information. Why would you not want information in a disaster? Use it, don't use, but at least you have it to make a better decision.

It all comes down to who you follow. I use Twitter almost exclusively for following Police, Fire, EMS, Emergency Management, CDC, FEMA, DHS, etc. You must follow the right people to get the right information. Use the search tool in SM to help determine if something is accurate. A perfect example was something in New York. Some guy heard a plane landed on the BQE, he went to Twitter and searched and started finding posts about it. Now here is where some basic knowledge is important in SM. If all you are seeing are "Re-Tweets" someone just reposting the exact same thing as someone else, that is not a verified source of info. If you are seeing a bunch of different people posting the same thing, worded differently and not re-Tweeting that is more verified information. Then start looking for media, pictures and video, that is now pretty real. This is how in less than 8 minutes he was able to confirm a plane did land on the BQE, Police, Fire/EMS were not even on scene yet and he had the info he needed. This is all real time intel that is at your fingertips.

When it comes the public officials using SM it is even more important. They now live by the rule that gunfighters do - Fast is Good, but Accuracy is Final. They have to be fast, if not whistledicks start using the incident hashtag to spread bad information. During Sandy, FEMA had to create a webpage just to disprove bad info on social media. They did not have an adequate SM plan and it hurt them in their response. But they need to be accurate as well. No more are we waiting for press conferences, they are pushing accurate info out pretty quickly, they have to. So again why would you not want an Intel tool at your fingertips?

Will there be misinformation? Of course, but this is were practice (just like everything) is important. You can start to see the stupidity in some posts and filter those out. You can start to recognize someone who is just spouting bullshit and not actually there. It just takes some practice to learn how to sort out the BS.

Knowledge is power, use the tools that are available to give you every bit of intel you can get.

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This is fantastic info. I would like to also add the alert system for your cell phones- there are weather alerts, Amber alerts, and I believe there are other local, community-based alerts and warnings that are set in place.

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Originally Posted by ClangClang

Apartment living has its drawbacks. It's just me and the wife. We have ~30 lbs of dried rice and beans specifically set aside for "preps" in addition to everything else in the pantry. I keep 10 gallons of freshwater and ~5 gallons of grey water and rotate through it every 3-4 months. Wish I could keep triple that, but there's really nowhere to store it. Luckily we have a nice creek ~100 yards away from our door, so I think I'm ok for now.

My main to do item is to update the bugout bag. It's got some hardware, but I really need to get copies of all our important documents (on an encrypted USB drive) with paper copies of some of the more common ones, some cash, more food items, dedicated Nalgene bottles, etc. in to it. It's woefully underpacked right now. In the same vein, I need to get a better kit in my trunk. Right now I have a milk crate with workboots and socks, leather gloves, a reflective vest, headlamp, and jumper cables. I really need to prepare a proper "get home bag" for the car. More water, food, tools, insulation, small tube of sunblock, etc.

I'm clearly in the minority here, but I think the odds of society devolving to the point that we have gun battles in the street is approximately a big fat zero. My weapon "loadout" is my CCW and a spare mag. I could see grabbing an AR and throwing it in the trunk if it was a leisurely evacuation with 2+ hours notice, but in a real emergency (house on fire) I wouldn't even look at my guns. They can all stay locked up in the safe and insured. If they survive, great. If not, I've got a nice check coming to me from USAA.

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We're working on our car kit and bug out bags as well. Don't forget TP! :)

We live in an area that makes street gun battles seem remote...both because the 'gangs' around here are bored teens thinking that breaking into cars makes them bad-ass, and because we have a great deal of like-minded conservative military/LEO types living in our neighborhood.

That being said, there are far more likely scenarios to want to enforce a little prepping awareness, caused by Mother Nature: drought. Wildfires. Torrential rains. Floods. The weather liars are making noise about this upcoming winter, saying it's supposed to be "bad." So you can add ice storms, blizzards, incredibly drying freezing winds, massive snows, etc to the list. I always count on the fact that nobody knows what the hell the weather's going to do, and try to pack according to Spring/Summer or Fall/Winter for our get-home bags. It's a constant thing!

This is a pretty neat diagram. You'll have to increase its size to read everything, but it's a great place to start your checklists.

Attachment 67013

I'm hoping the file uploaded; if not, Google Prepper Matrix. You'll see the image- it's the one with the colored circles.

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Originally Posted by TheGrey

This is a pretty neat diagram. You'll have to increase its size to read everything, but it's a great place to start your checklists.

Attachment 67013

I'm hoping the file uploaded; if not, Google Prepper Matrix. You'll see the image- it's the one with the colored circles.

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Busy, but very useful. Thanks

Chris. How do you use SM and eliminate the drama? That's the reason I don't use it.

Don't engage in the drama. It's all about who you choose to follow. With FB and Twitter you get some advertisements mixed in but just choose the follow the people or organizations you want. Here is who I follow on Twitter:

City of Thornton, City of Longmont, Adams County OEM, Larimer OEM, Denver OEM, Douglas County OEM
Weld County Sheriff, Adams County Sheriff, Jefferson County Sheriff, Larimer Sheriff,Lakewood Police, Thornton Police, Denver Police, Lafayette Police, Broomfield Police
Thornton Fire, Ft. Collins Fire, North Metro Fire, Mountain View Fire
Tri-County Health Department, Jeffco Public Health, Denver Public Health, CDPHE EPR, CDC Emergency, Readygov, ASPR, Colorado Emergency Management, FEMA
Emergency Management Magazine, Ctr for Preparedness and other sits like these (like for follow one and you will get recomendations of who else to follow)
All my Facilities accounts as well
Micki Trost (PIO for State Homeland Security - she is awesome, all of this I learned from her), Mitch Utterback (Cool Dude - Army SF, he had a lot do with fires and flooding in the state), George Brauchler (District Attorney 18th District - Cool Guy)

The reason I follow these is because of interests I have in these areas - geographical or general interest. Here is an example: During the High Park Fire in Larimer County my mother in law was close to evacuating and she was moving her horses just in case. She did not know where to move them. I told my wife she needs to take them to Budweiser Event Center, she said "but my sister heard not to go there". I said Larimer County Sheriff just tweeted 2 minutes ago to take all large animals to BEC. When you have an agency that has embraced SM and uses it well it is awesome tool. You are instantly ahead of everyone not using it, why? If you rely on traditional media to tell you info, where are they getting that info to pass along? They are reading the same SM posts you could be reading. It cuts out the middleman and stupidity of traditional media. You notice I do not follow any actual media outlets, they are not the source of news anymore. Go to where the information is actually coming from.

This is very controlled info that is in your hands, someone or some organization is being a cockbag, unfollow them, pretty simple.

So is twit good enough or does one need Facebook also? App or no app?

For pure info, Twitter is the place. Easier to search and find info. Most places use Hootsuite or something similar to post on both sites so you would just be duplicating info. I like the app on iOS.

Prepping isn't simply stocking up food for the month of September and making sure you have a get-home bag in your car. It's not a matter of preparing for zombie attacks or worrying about whether gangs are going to riot in your neighborhood and break into your home (although, if you are in a neighborhood like that, bless you and may you be able to leave that place soon!) Prepping is first and foremost a mindset. It is a conscious determination to take responsibility for yourself and your loved ones, removing dependence upon others to be the first to help you. Much like the mindset you should have when you decide to conceal carry, deciding to begin or continue prepping is a way of taking control of your life.

Let's take a look at Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. You remember this- high school psychology classes everywhere examined Abraham Maslow's pyramid.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...fNeeds.svg.png

At the bottom of the pyramid is Physiological. This is the base of the pyramid, the thing that supports all else. If you are hungry, thirsty, freezing, naked, and dirty, you will not be concerned with questions such as "Why am I here? What is the purpose of life?" So, in prepping, you need to make sure your basic needs are met- food, shelter, water, waste disposal, hygiene. That means enough for your family and pets, too. Prepping suggests that you take a longer-term approach to this, not simply to have a few days' worth on hand.

Prepping questions to ask yourself: How long will your food hold out? If you have dehydrated foods, do you have enough water to rehydrate that food without taking away from drinking water and cleaning water? Do you have enough spices or sauces to make that food palatable? Do your pets have enough food and shelter? Does your family LIKE eating what you have stocked? Is there enough soap? Are there enough feminine hygiene products? How will I dispose of waste?

The next step up is Safety. Is your home safe? I am not just asking about protection fro incursion, but is is safe structurally? Are there broken windows, ripped screens, nails sticking out of the walls, loose floorboards, iffy wiring, warped doors, and so on. Play the mental game of 'what if-?' What if there was a fire? Do you have fire extinguishers? (October is Fire Safety month- Home Depot and Lowe's usually have sales on extinguishers. Get ABC fire extinguishers, and learn how to use them.) What if you have someone elderly staying with you? That loose tile that you're used to avoiding may cause a bad fall for someone else.

Safety questions to consider for prepping: Which natural disasters are common in my area? What am I prepared for, and what do I need to better prepare for?Do you know where your water shut-off valve is in the house? Does your spouse? Do you have an evacuation plan in place?

The third tier of the pyramid is harder: Love and Belonging. This is not something that can be purchased, so it's harder to grasp and define. For those that are married, or that live with family, ask yourself this: If we are snowed in for two weeks without contact to the outside world (no internet, television, telephones or radios), will we be able to co-exist peacefully? Children will spat with each other and there's no denying it. People will get on each other's nerves when they are under stress and underfoot. Feuds are another thing entirely. On top of this, you have the Care and Feeding of Introverts and Extroverts. One way to prepare for this is to designate a space for each person that they can go to when they need a break. You also need a place where people can go when they need to be with other people. Most homes already have separate bedrooms and living rooms or dens, so this isn't as hard as it sounds. Spouses will need privacy during stressful times, so children and houseguests will need to adhere to specific boundaries (both physical and chunks of time). Remember- there is more to life than simple survival. Man is not an island.

Questions to ask yourself for prepping for Love and Belonging: Am I in touch with my emotions with how it relates to family? Do I tell (or demonstrate) my love and support of my family members? Do they recognize and understand it? How can I support each of my family members during stressful time? How can they support me? If I am in the midst of a long-term fight/squabble/disagreement, can I set that aside until such time as the emergency is past, and my family is safe?

The fourth tier is Esteem Needs: feelings of accomplishment. This is important for you as head of your household; in emergency situations, your family will look to you for guidance. You will better accomplish your tasks if you think ahead of time and prepare (see what I did here?) for as many scenarios as you deem likely or plausible. Although tornadoes are terrifying, they are much less so when you have a fully-stocked basement, a weather radio, a safety room to corral the family in, and a plan in place. The safety and security of your family and your home should provide you with that sense of accomplishment. If you are prone to doubting yourself, you need to find a way to take heart and be confident in yourself. Speak with your spouse- they are your partner, after all. If you have no spouse, find a person you can confide in.

Questions to ask yourself for prepping for a sense of accomplishment: What can I build or create that will ease my family's burden in the event of an emergency? What can I do that will make each member of my family feel loved and cherished? What can we all do together that will bring us closer?

The top of the pyramid is Self-Actualization. Self-actualization is a worthy goal to strive for, and includes leisure and creative outlets. Why is this at the top of the pyramid? When your basic necessities, security, love and belonging, sense of self-worth and accomplishment are all met....you have time for play. Play is important. Play is sanity. Play is what tells your children that everything is okay, and it reinforces the sense of belonging. Play means you are safe, and are well-fed and can spend your attention on fun.

I cannot over-emphasize how important this is, especially to those people that are married and/or have children. Play and laughter are what make relationships grow and thrive. Not teasing or mocking, but genuine fun. Make sure to have games, books, music, puzzles, craft things, toys, photos...whatever makes you and your loved ones happy. This is the way to reinforce all other tiers of the pyramid together.

Questions to ask for prepping for self-actualization: What makes us happy, together and individually? What do each of my family members love to do best, and what can we do to prepare for it?


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I know this was a long one, and there may be some different ideas that you have as to what might work best for your situation. The idea was to start those wheels turning, and to help you start to think in the prepper mindset. I hope the majority of this makes sense, and I welcome additional thoughts and suggestions!

I've used frugalsquirrels.com as a good resource from like minded folks

I have never heard of this site- thanks for the great tip!

I left frugal squirrels after the owner started outright attacking catholic members for not being Christian enough. Among other things

I go there for everything but the religion sub forum.

For the 9/11 post I want to focus on the the preparedness action of one individual person. Many of you may know his name and something about him but if you don't look him up and read about his life.

Rick Rescorla saved hundreds or even thousands of lives on 9/11 because of preparedness. Look him up if you don't know about him, here's a cool nugget about him - The guy on the cover of the We Were Soldiers Once . . . and Young is a young Rick Rescorla.

http://rickrescorla.com/articles/stand-and-never-yield

The book about him was a good (touching) read. Or someone associated with him.

That was inspirational! Thank you for that link.

I have some questions for those that are prepping- are you alone in making your preps? Do you have a partner, a spouse, like-minded neighbors, friends or family helping you? How much do you discuss prepping? Do you have people physically nearby that you can depend on, or that you know will depend on you? How do you fit this into your prepping?

I had a neighbor several years ago that I encouraged to prep for his family. His comment to me was "now I know where to go if something happens". My comment to him was "if I see you coming up the driveway with empty hands you'll die in the driveway".
The older I get the less concerned I am about prepping but I'm still in better shape than most of the people around me.

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Originally Posted by TheGrey

That was inspirational! Thank you for that link.

I have some questions for those that are prepping- are you alone in making your preps? Do you have a partner, a spouse, like-minded neighbors, friends or family helping you? How much do you discuss prepping? Do you have people physically nearby that you can depend on, or that you know will depend on you? How do you fit this into your prepping?

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Yes to all the above. Everyone has something they bring to the table. Unfortunately we have some friends who are under the impression. Because we have preps, they're going to freeload off our hard work. They still don't get it.

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Originally Posted by Great-Kazoo

Yes to all the above. Everyone has something they bring to the table. Unfortunately we have some friends who are under the impression. Because we have preps, they're going to freeload off our hard work. They still don't get it.

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This is a situation that many preppers have to deal with. It's easy to sort of sweep under the rug and laugh it off; after all, in an emergency, what is the likelihood that they will show up at your door? How far away do they live?

But.

It may be something to nip in the bud. You don't have to say, "Over my dead body!" After all, these people are your friends.

Some of our friends will be welcome here. They know that.
Depending on who else invites themselves, I respond, "I'm afraid that all our rooms/beds are all spoken for."
Or, "You might find that they close the road down if it snows that much," or something like that. I offer to show them instead how to begin prepping for themselves.

If they are acquaintances, frenemies, or people I don't really care for, I shrug it off and smile and make some quip about us not sticking around for the zombie invasion, and rigging the house to blow.