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FReepers, the basics of being prepared
Vanity | 06/13/2013 | 101stAirborneVet

Posted on 06/12/2013 10:01:12 PM PDT by 101stAirborneVet

FReepers, want to know how you can prepare?

Start rucking.

But 101stAirborneVet, I was never in the military! What is "rucking"?

Explained here, it is essentially walking quickly, over rough terrain, with a load on your back.

But 101stAirborneVet, why in the world would I want to do that? How is that helping me to "prepare"?

One of the basic tasks (if not the basic task) of a person who finds themselves in a combat situation is to move. That means getting from point A to point B, usually with supplies/ammo/weapons/correspondence/food/water, as quickly as possible. If you can’t get yourself and some basic gear down the road, you could find yourself in big trouble if (when) this country reaches DEFCON 1.

But 101stAirborneVet, I'm out of shape! I might have a hard time carrying food, or water, or ammo a long distance - especially during stressful times when my body will already be weaker!

That's why you need to train up now. The First Implement is your body. If you're out of shape, start getting in shape now, and practicing realistic physical challenges like strapping a pack on your back and moving out. Your goal should be to travel at least 12 miles as quickly as possible with a pack of basic gear on your back. (Work up to this, of course. The above linked web site has some tips on this.)

But 101stAirborneVet, I'm 107 years old! There's no way I can do this!

No problem! Just do what you can do, but do something. Increase your abilities in some way, any way. Even if it means finally turning off Judge Judy reruns and walking around the back yard. Increase your physical activity within your capabilities.

But 101stAirborneVet, are you saying I’m going to be ferrying ammo between machine gun nests? Or delivering a message to some general like it’s the Civil War? Isn’t that a little crrrrrrazy?

I'm not saying that at all. Everyone will be doing something different. The point is that you’ve got to start giving yourself the tools to survive now, and that includes achieving a basic level of fitness and being able to move out if the need arises.

Wait, 101stAirborneVet! I’m already fit! I can ruck a 50-lb. pack 12 miles in less than three hours!

Well done! That means you can move. But that’s only one of the skills you’re going to need. Next, try rucking 12 miles to your local shooting range, and see how well you shoot when fatigued (remember to obey all local Nazi dictates about how to transport your firearm). If you want to have what it takes to defend yourself, your family, and what’s yours, your goal should be train until you can do this with little to no difficulty. Once you have accomplished this, you will be able to shoot and move.

You underestimate me, 101stAirborneVet! I can shoot and I can move! I rucked 12 miles to the range and shot 50 rounds of 9mm, center mass, at 15 yards! Am I ready for SHTF?

Not quite. Now do all of the above with close friends or family members. Discuss and practice what you would do if you encountered danger while rucking between points. Discuss and practice at the range how you would cooperatively engage multiple targets that are attacking you. Establish words or phrases that will prompt your buddies or family members to take certain actions, or to know what actions you are going to take. Achieve this level of training, and you can now shoot, move and communicate.

Uh, 101stAirborneVet, I’m not one of those “Preppies”. I don’t believe anything bad is going to happen, or I’m unwilling to prepare myself for it.

First off, it’s “prepper”. But that’s okay, you don’t have to be one. If nothing ever happens, and Obama rides across a rainbow in the sky on his fiery unicorn and everything is A-okay, you have benefited immensely from all of the above. You will have become more physically fit, gained a great deal of confidence, learned cooperation under extreme stress, become a proficient shooter under adverse circumstances, spent time in the great outdoors, and learned that the word is “prepper”, not “preppie”.

For those of you who are preparing yourselves in other ways, don't neglect the most important preparation of all: your own health, fitness and situational awareness and readiness.

So start rucking, remember to drink water, and I’ll see you out there.


TOPICS: Reference
KEYWORDS: preppers; prepping
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To: piroque

Good idea. Thanks.


41 posted on 06/13/2013 6:27:18 AM PDT by Lurker (Violence is rarely the answer. But when it is it is the only answer.)
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To: Netz
Why do all these Preppers think that they're going to be in a very specific disaster type of scenario?

Who are "all these Preppers" you refer to?

Most of the Freepers who are regulars on prepping posts here seem to be oriented to preps that are universal in application and need. And there are a lot of articles and posts about preparing for unknown emergencies on a tight budget.

No matter what type of disaster befalls us, we all need food, water, shelter, sanitation, medical care, security, survival skills, physical fitness, etc. And those are the general topics I see discussed here for the most part.

By survival skills I mean the skills to hunt, fish, garden, obtain and purify water, use tools and weapons, repair or build a shelter, protect your family from predators, starvation, thirst, disease.

Most of the preppers posting here seem to be of moderate means so a lot of info is shared on how to do more with less. Where to find bargains, how to grow and can garden produce, make soap, build a cache, purify water with a penny's worth of bleach, etc.

Of course there is the occasional link to an article about old missile silos in Wyoming or someone discovering a cold war fallout shelter in their back yard but I don't recall many Freepers posting that they have just bought a missile silo or their own mountaintop redoubt in Idaho.

I would say most of the preppers posting here seem knowledgable and level headed and the information sharing is generally helpful and interesting. Not everyone is interested in or capable of makng their own soap from scratch or rucking 26 miles in a full pack but the posts are interesting and thought provoking and there is usually some part of the information that is good to know and file away for reference.


42 posted on 06/13/2013 6:48:53 AM PDT by Iron Munro (Obama-Ville - Land of The Free Stuff, Home of the Enslaved)
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To: Iron Munro
True, most folks here are level headed.

I was commenting on the myriad sites and ads very prevalent nowadays that only seem to be growing in quantity and alarmist attitudes and not sites and information which is good to have and useful.

Perhaps I was being too general with my sweeping comments so to all those Freepers who might have been offended I apologize.

It just seems to me a situation spiraling downward and so many commercial folks are feeding off it, that's all.

43 posted on 06/13/2013 7:13:40 AM PDT by Netz (Netz)
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To: Netz
I was commenting on the myriad sites and ads very prevalent nowadays that only seem to be growing in quantity and alarmist attitudes and not sites and information which is good to have and useful.

Have to agree with you there.

Like everything else in life, the end user has to be equipped to make judgment calls and separate the useful from the B.S.

44 posted on 06/13/2013 7:23:13 AM PDT by Iron Munro (Obama-Ville - Land of The Free Stuff, Home of the Enslaved)
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To: Texas Fossil
Actually, the version saw was:
There are three types of people:
  1. Those who make things happen,
  2. Those who watch things happen,
  3. Those who wonder what happened
:-)
45 posted on 06/13/2013 7:35:53 AM PDT by 5thGenTexan
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To: 5thGenTexan

In a similar vein, Thomas Edison was supposed to have said, “5% of people think. 10% think they think. 85% would rather die than think.”


46 posted on 06/13/2013 7:50:06 AM PDT by Hugin
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To: Netz; 101stAirborneVet
“Why do all these Preppers think that they're going to be in a very specific disaster type of scenario? Who said that the planet will be in a “MADMAX” mode? Yep, be prepared but to what extent and at what cost?”

Your post is full of, Who said “X” will happen? We prepare for the unknown “X”- it's called “PREP INSURANCE”. I have a specific danger and that is hurricanes.I have “Insurance” for hurricanes in the way of preps to provide what I need after a hurricane takes out power and/or damages my house. And, I have regular insurance on my house and goods.

Because I have prep insurance, I will be okay no matter what “X” happens.

To AirborneVet: I am 80 and I can't ruck anywhere due to bad knees. The right one has already had surgery. I move around my garden and I have stairs to my second floor which I go up and down several times a day.

I got myself medically evaluated and had terrible blood numbers, my body was in self destruct mode seriously, so I changed my diet and took the medicines the doctor suggested for those problems, and in a year, my blood numbers were good to very good. I went from my body shutting down to everything in good shape. That was my mental ruck - to fix what was wrong and I did that. That major diet change was no red meat and little sugar and more veggies and fish and chicken. I saved my own life. Now, that is the equivalent of a physical ruck.

Because I can't travel distances like you say, I made my small townhouse a fortress so no one can get in but me. Since I am retired, I'll likely be home when “X” happens. I don't travel far from home at all since a street within feet from me has everything I need.

I can lock my front door and not leave for a year and live well including having fresh food from my small garden (think container growing). I have house security to prevent zombies from entering, and personal security with firearms I can handle and hit the target. Yes, I have magazines that hold 25 cartridges and a hand gun with hollow points and a laser so I definitely don't miss the target. Hussein can go pound dirt, he's not getting my magazines.

I wish I had the ability to walk as you say, but I fixed my surroundings as well as I could to make up for that.

47 posted on 06/13/2013 7:51:32 AM PDT by Marcella (Prepping can save your life today. I am a Christian, not a Muslim.)
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To: Netz
Some of us can our garden produce every year as a way of life. Some of us live a rather... rustic lifestyle, which includes daily PT.

I rather think you would consider my normal lifestyle 'unreasonable'. It's the way I choose to live.

Should anything bad happen, I expect I'll be way ahead of the couch potato urbanites who don't have any skills or preparation for hard living.

/johnny

48 posted on 06/13/2013 8:09:12 AM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: 101stAirborneVet
Southernprepper1 (YouTube) has a decent series on training for the Minuteman. It is a helpful series he is working on for those moving on to the the next step in preparedness.
49 posted on 06/13/2013 8:17:57 AM PDT by PA Engineer (Liberate America from the Occupation Media.)
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To: PA Engineer
Southernprepper1 (YouTube) has a decent series on training for the Minuteman. It is a helpful series he is working on for those moving on to the the next step in preparedness.

I subscribe to his channel already, and I always recommend him to friends. There's a wealth of information there.

I wish some of the naysayers would realize that this isn't Navy SEAL or Delta Force stuff we're talking about here. Being as fit as you can be and ready to fire a rifle and walk distances is just good citizenship.

For those who literally cannot, that in no way reflects on their value as a citizen. So many FReepers have found other ways to improve themselves within their limits, learn self sufficiency, and acquire knowledge and expertise that is just as valuable.

50 posted on 06/13/2013 8:32:24 AM PDT by 101stAirborneVet
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To: Netz; 101stAirborneVet
You can't put JRandomFreeper in any category of being prepared or unprepared or rucking and not rucking. He is the exception.

He could walk into any uncivilized area with nothing with him and eat better than the rest of us and live without suffering (too much) for as long as he needed to be there.

He is survival man and lives pretty much that way as his preferred method of living. I have learned a lot from this survival man.

51 posted on 06/13/2013 8:32:40 AM PDT by Marcella (Prepping can save your life today. I am a Christian, not a Muslim.)
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To: Marcella

I have read many of his posts since coming to FR. Not only does he embody preparedness, he has a wit and a humor that never fails to impress me. I can only hope he’s in my small group someday so he can teach me to skin a mountain lion, and keep a smile on my face while doing it.


52 posted on 06/13/2013 8:35:07 AM PDT by 101stAirborneVet
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To: 101stAirborneVet

Personally, I think it’s a very valid recommendation for those who can train for it. I do cardio, cross-training walk aerobics, 2-3 miles at least 4 times a week, often 5. So I have a reasonably good level of basic fitness although I need more strength training in my arms.

Still, I after a recent re-do of our 72 hour bug out bags, I put one on and wondered right then if I’d be able to walk very long with it.

I’m not certain I’d ever be able to do the 12 miles, but it doesn’t hurt to try to increase above what I’m already doing. I will be in a great location later this summer to put the thing on and hike/train across rough terrain. And I am going to do just that.


53 posted on 06/13/2013 10:43:04 AM PDT by prairiebreeze (Don't be afraid to see what you see. -- Ronald Reagan)
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To: prairiebreeze; 101stAirborneVet; Kartographer; JRandomFreeper; greeneyes; Marcella; ...

Thanks for the post, 101stAirborneVet! Prairiebreeze, you summed up somewhat my situation as well. I lost quite a bit over 50 pounds 5 years ago, and do frequent walking in order to maintain the loss.

Your rucking article has given me food for thought about the need to extend my capabilities. The info about socks is potentially going to be a helpful one, for I seem to be at a threshold of about 2 miles, when after that I invariably start with the burn/hot spot blister situation on the balls of my feet.

What kind of polyester socks should be chosen as the inner sock? I’ve been wearing primarily cotton, because I just don’t like the feel of polyester. But I’m willing to do what works, if I may have a little more specific advice on the subject.

BTW, speaking of burning foot issues, for those who are advancing in years and getting gray, I learned recently that that blood sugar issues are not the only causes of a burning/sensitive sensation in feet and legs denoting neuropathy. Malabsorption leading to deficiency of vitamin B12 which often occurs in elderly, can also account for that as well.


54 posted on 06/13/2013 2:09:59 PM PDT by TEXOKIE (We must surrender only to our Holy God and never to the evil that has befallen us.)
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To: TEXOKIE
Malabsorption leading to deficiency of vitamin B12

Homebrew beer has plenty of B12, since all the yeast can't be filtered out. Even with malabsorption, if you get enough homebrew, you should get enough B12.

That's my theory, anyway. ;)

/johnny

55 posted on 06/13/2013 2:22:06 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: TEXOKIE
the burn/hot spot blister situation on the balls of my feet.

If I'm at altitude, or going to be doing a lot of shank's mare transport, I slather on petroleum jelly, before I put on my socks. You get used to the squishy feel.

Once, in a pinch, I actually used axle grease, because that was what there was, and I had to make movement. Threw the socks away, and the boots stank for months.

/johnny

56 posted on 06/13/2013 2:26:21 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: TEXOKIE

Personally, I recommend moleskin. Cut a large enough section that you can cut a hole in the middle - the hole should be the size of the problem area. After cutting the hole, place the moleskin so that the problem area is within the hole, surrounded by moleskin.


57 posted on 06/13/2013 3:01:27 PM PDT by 101stAirborneVet
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To: 101stAirborneVet
That works well, too. I was mainly in the boonies where moleskin wasn't available, so I went back to WWI&WWII methods.

/johnny

58 posted on 06/13/2013 3:39:58 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: gotribe

It may start that way, but it always ends up with people on the ground with weapons.


59 posted on 06/13/2013 5:58:10 PM PDT by DuncanWaring (The Lord uses the good ones; the bad ones use the Lord.)
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To: TEXOKIE
Hiking Socks

One Example

60 posted on 06/13/2013 6:05:58 PM PDT by prairiebreeze (Don't be afraid to see what you see. -- Ronald Reagan)
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