That’s great. I wish more people would similarly prepare.
And, for me at least, preparation has to be holistic. By this I mean that it has to include:
1. Resources: Adequate amounts of food, access to potable water, weapons and ammunition, medical supplies. Sufficient resources, and then sufficient backups because sh!t happens.
2. Knowledge: It can be quite amazing how often people simply stockpile things but lack the knowledge on what to do and how to do it. For me, knowledge means a keen understanding on advanced first aid, care under fire, etc; comprehensive gun training (and I don’t mean shooting at paper targets); how to grow food, how to hunt, how to preserve food assuming electricity and similar modern conveniences are unavailable; etc. Without knowledge a severe toothache can mess most people up, and let’s not even get into things like dysentery. As someone who grew up in Africa I know the many ways nature can muck someone up! Same thing for firearms - having them doesn’t mean knowing how to use them, and in a TEOTWAWKI situation, people will not simply be standing there for you to shoot them. No. They will be making it very hard for you, and for that matter, shooting back. Be better than them!
3. Exercise: Without being rude, I always chuckle when I see the 300 pound prepper with his arsenal of three dozen firearms but he can’t even run 100m without putting himself at risk of death. Sure, I know the old ‘my bullets will do the running for me,’ but what if you meet someone else who’s interested in your stuff, also shoots as well as you do, but unfortunately for you has the physicality of Captain America/Black Panther/Batman? Oh, and any human predators coming your way are likely to be quite fit. If things really do get crazy the world will be divided into predator, prey and protectors - and predators will tend to be physically very capable. So, it is very important to exercise. Have the strength. Get the cardio. Know how to fight with your hands. Understand a gun is not a magic wand but merely a tool, and that you are the weapon. Consequently, sharpen your weapon! Most people don’t, and in my humble opinion I see such people are supply caches/repositories of stuff. Because it will be taken from them. They are simply there to collect it and keep it safe for others to come take it.
4. Geographical locus: If number 3 makes me laugh then number 4 makes me sad. There are many preppers who plan to ride things out in urban and surburban areas. Those are dead men! I even know someone who bought a generator so he can have electricity when his neighborhood goes dark, not knowing that will attract everyone around for miles. Any place within a certain distance from large cities will be overrun. I do not care how many guns you have. The marauding hordes will break down your doors and take your stuff. Many of those will include your neighbors - at first asking nicely for help, but by day 5 demanding that you share. There will be fires. There will be hungry, confused people seeking resources (the marauding horde). There will be specialized predators who have coalesced together to survive by simply taking from the weak. Anyone who doesn’t get out of urban and suburban areas within a certain timeframe is basically finished …unless he (and I mean he, since women will not really enjoy ‘living’ in urban/suburbia ….) turns evil and joins the specialized predators. Having a location away from major cities is going to be important.
5. Friends: You will need people to help defend you. A community is far better able to defend itself, keep its resources (and if evil, even take the resources of others) better than a Lone Ranger. Few preppers unfortunately think about that - it’s all about their secret stash. Even DEVGRU and DELTA operate in teams. James Bond and other lone specialists only really exist in movies.
This is a great comment.
Do not underestimate the viciousness of women. The stories of how women would handle abusive spouses before women’s liberation were not documented and not talked about. Ask your granny and see if she will tell you.
Good advice. Wish a country get away were affordable cuz I hav a feeling we will need to flee in future.
“A ‘community’ is far better able to defend itself, keep its resources (and if evil, even take the resources of others) better than a Lone Ranger.”
Well said! One reason I feel confident we can endure whatever Mother Government throws at us is this: I live in a ‘community’ of our farm and four others, filled with god-fearing, hardworking, talented and generous people. One is an ex-Amish guy, so he KNOWS how to ‘do stuff’ better than any of us. And everyone can shoot straight - even the kids! ;)
Between us, we have thousands of acres of land and the talent and means to keep ourselves supplied with fruits, vegetables, foraging, meat animals, eggs and milk.
Other than someone burning us out, we should be OK.
Note to self: Continue to reinforce that northern perimeter! ;)
“Knowledge” That reminds me of when I was fresh out of the academy with my “ship board medical class”. I walked into the medical locker on my first ship and saw a small operating room full of things I had never known existed. Plus all the medications.
Years later I was getting far superior medical training.