Are we maturing as prepper?

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All of us. Here on the site.

Where are we at?

Let's face it, the things we talk about most now, certainly aren't what was being talked about in 2016. Not even on other forums.

In 2016, people were TALKING about (not sure if anyone was doing it) building bug out vehicles with improvised armor, turning their homes into booby trap filled death houses, digging WWI style trenches in their property, burying supply caches all over (I've actually done this, a couple) having BOL's, and backup locations. The list goes on, some of it seems more reasonable than others.

So, what do we think now, as 2018 comes to a close? What are you prepping for, has your focus changed, have you stopped prepping? Have you reached a point where you feel that you are as prepared as you can get?

What do you think will be the focus in 2019? Not asking for your fears, but that's fine too. Asking, what, if anything, are you specifically preparing for? Any changes in plan? Can you share those plans?

Prepping, as a movement, has been around for a while. There are "prepper camps" and things, established companies who cater to the prepping market, the movement seems to be around for the long term.

Do you think prepping is still growing?

Do you think you are still growing as a prepper?

What's most important? Skills, or stuff?

If skills, what skills are you building and how?

If stuff, what do plan on buying?

Thanks for any replies. It's hard to get the big picture, from the daily prep thread.
 
@Squirtgunsquirter

Yes I do think that as a community we are maturing. The Mad Max (no disrespect to our new member) stuff has faded a bit and the realization that food, water, clothes, ect. takes priority to fighting off the zombies. Yes I still love my guns and do plan for a completed collapse of society, with that being said, I stock pile all the absolutes. So a few answers to your questions.

Do you think prepping is still growing?
I do think prepping is still growing but at a slightly slower and more rational direction.

Do you think you are still growing as a prepper?

I am constantly growing as a prepper, especially since I joined this forum. More intelligent and diverse topics.

What's most important? Skills, or stuff?

Anybody that thinks stuff is better than skills, is not a prepper and will be DOA when the SHTF. Stuff breaks, gets lost, stolen, or just expires. Knowledge is forever.

If skills, what skills are you building and how?

My weak area is agriculture, so I am reading tons. Once I relocate, then I will start on developing actual hands on skills. I am a retired Facilities Operation Director, so I am experienced with all phases of buildings and structures and how to maintain them, got the tools and skills needed. How to raise food and critters will be the skill I have to develop.

If stuff, what do plan on buying?

Now stuff is not as important as skills but having some stuff is beneficial too. With that in mind, I am collecting Firearms, Reloading equipment, wood and metal working equipment. Still -alcohol - making equipment, seeds, hand type farming tools and food prep (dehydrator, canning, etc.) equipment.

I hope that gets the ball rolling, good topic and good questions.
 
I still prep for the same things as before, everything. Well, almost everything, no radiation or gas stuff. I figure if those happen just run, fast....
I truly feel that there will be an economic collapse followed by civil unrest and lawlessness. This will also lead to loss of the grid and public utilities. I’m in my fifties, so hope it happens after I’m gone, but imagine I will see it before then. No one has a crystal ball though. Could be tomorrow or in tens of years, but I’m certain it will happen, as it has through history. As far as what to prep for, keep it simple. Think of what you need in life. Water, food, shelter, and security, in that order. Everything else is gravy. Keep in mind that while stockpiling food and supplies is good for short term emergencies, knowing how to replenish your food and stuff is more important. No matter how much you amass it will run out or get stolen or damaged. Knowing how to make things, grow food, raise animals, treat wounds and the like are skills that need to be learned. Right now it’s really easy to learn all this, just ask google. After there is no internet access that won’t be the case, so take this opportunity now and learn some new things. Hey, if I’m wrong and the world continues along for 100 yrs or more, great. At least you will be able to treat your child when they have a bike accident, or grow fresh tomatoes that taste so much better than the crap from Walmart. Learning isn’t just for the bad ‘what ifs’.
 
I believe the loss of the electric grid will precede any societal collapse and lawlessness, most of the population will be able to survive up to that point but once the power goes off that means no fuel at filling stations so no food deliveries to the stores, no fridges or freezers so any food they have will spoil, and heavens above...no internet and no mobile phones...what will they do??:p
anyone can survive minor events or even larger ones but once the power goes off that's the end of CIVILisation as we know it.
electricity underpins everything we do in the modern world, without electricity there is NO modern world.
anyone who cannot fall back on the old ways is dead meat.
 
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All of us. Here on the site.

Where are we at?

Let's face it, the things we talk about most now, certainly aren't what was being talked about in 2016. Not even on other forums.

In 2016, people were TALKING about (not sure if anyone was doing it) building bug out vehicles with improvised armor, turning their homes into booby trap filled death houses, digging WWI style trenches in their property, burying supply caches all over (I've actually done this, a couple) having BOL's, and backup locations. The list goes on, some of it seems more reasonable than others.

So, what do we think now, as 2018 comes to a close? What are you prepping for, has your focus changed, have you stopped prepping? Have you reached a point where you feel that you are as prepared as you can get?

What do you think will be the focus in 2019? Not asking for your fears, but that's fine too. Asking, what, if anything, are you specifically preparing for? Any changes in plan? Can you share those plans?

Prepping, as a movement, has been around for a while. There are "prepper camps" and things, established companies who cater to the prepping market, the movement seems to be around for the long term.

Do you think prepping is still growing?

Do you think you are still growing as a prepper?

What's most important? Skills, or stuff?

If skills, what skills are you building and how?

If stuff, what do plan on buying?

Thanks for any replies. It's hard to get the big picture, from the daily prep thread.


well lets see here now,,,,you can never prep enough there is always some aspects of prepping that can be improved upon so yeah we are still prepping,,,as for what for no one knows what the future is so I prep for survival ,that means food shelter and the gear/stuff I think I might need and you can never have enough,,,,and lets talk about skills and stuff/gear,,,,,you have to have the skill to use the gear you do have or be able to improvise if you don't have the gear you need ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
 
I'd say I'm really not maturing as a prepper but consider myself a mature prepper. My food stores are measured by the tons plus I grow some of my own food, with a prepper mentality of becoming food self reliant when necessary. I keep hundreds of lbs of garden seed in storage and each year add more as most seed not frozen is only viable for a few years.

Personally I think stuff is equally important to knowledge. Take acquiring water after the grid goes down. Many skilled folks here probably can survive a crisis by getting enough clean water for drinking purposes. Granted it might be hot and stinky... but it will be safe. I prefer to use stuff to get lots of water... same amount as I have now. My stuff & skill in this area of prepping includes having the ability to pull a well pump and have access to all that cool, pure water underground. Once the old pump is pulled, I have the stuff to manually send down a well bucket to get water. After that, I have the stuff, a Grundfos flex well pump in storage as well as the extra solar panels and controllers, to pressurize my entire water system during daylight hours.

Same can be said for growing your own food. Many might have the skills to do so, but if you don't have the tools and seed already in storage, what good will that skill do you?

I like stuff. :)
 
We still doing things we done ten years ago, my plans haven't wavered that far off where I'm wanting to be, they remain the same as they were 30 years ago. About the only thing that has changed is the growth of the family and the size of the preps so the changing of priorities is dynamic. I'm heavily considering solar panels for the property while still maintaining connection to the grid, I would like both features being available to me. I don't spend much on electricity so that aspect isn't reason to remove myself from the grid completely.
 
When I first came here, I only had an idea of prepping. I didn't have anything. That includes jumper cables in my car. I am happy to say I now have plenty of supplies for my car, and a few for my home. Baby steps are better than no steps at all. My sister-in-law just left for a visit. She wanted to know what was up with all the water storage. That tells me I am headed in the right direction.

As far as what will happen, I don't know what or when. I think with the economy doing so well it has to come crashing down at some point. It could be electrical, this thing with Mexico could turnout for the worst. I have no idea..

My current goal is to save money for some medical expenses that I have. I want to be able to pay cash for the balance and have it not put a strain on me. After that I want to replenish that savings so that other unforeseen things won't be such a blow.

I would love to acquire skills. I don't have time for a class. I simply watch YouTube videos. It is all I have access to right now. I work 40 hours per week with 1.5 drive time so that makes it more like 47 hours of my work week and I babysit my grand kids 13 hours per day on Saturday and Sunday. Today is the exception to the rule and I have a day off. I feel like I am on vacation. :) I just say all that to say, I don't have a lot of free time to prep, but I still get on here and stay active because it is important to me. I also do somethings, but forget to mention them on this weeks preps checking because I am usually doing something else.

I learn things all the time on this site. For example, I found out what an Israeli bandage is and Celox gauze is because it was mentioned by other people on here. I go and try to learn about these things on my own as best as I can, and sometimes I just ask questions. For instance, I recently asked about coin pressed tissue. I asked what other people would use it for. I got plenty of great answers. I put it on my Christmas list (and it has already slipped that it will be one of my gifts).

I have done a lot o prepping around the house from getting better smoke detectors, replacing air filters, cleaning the air conditioner unit outside, killing destructive rats in the attic, extra food, extra water, to reinforced doors etc. I have a pretty good stock of hygiene supplies and cleaning supplies ( I admit this part comes naturally for me) other things I need help with, and I get it here. :)
 
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stuff isn't much good unless the person has the knowledge and skill to know how to use it, otherwise it might as well stay in the box it came in:D
Agree and why I state they are equally important. Stuff (tools) makes life easier and more efficient. Always has... always will. Of course, one must use these tools and gain the knowledge in how to properly implement them. But I do have some stuff, say my hand powered grain mills, that I've never used. I understand how to use them and will need them in an extended crisis. In that case, I think it better to have the stuff (mills) and learn how to use them later than than to know how to use a grain mill but not have one when you need it for survival.
 
I’m preparing for the breakdown of the current culture of maximum harm and for climatic changes. My prepping is partly an effort to avoid mere subsistence should a catastrophic event or major civil unrest occur and partly an effort to reduce or alleviate catastrophic disruption by building resilience, shortening supply chains, creating banks of skills and tools, increasing both self-reliance and mutual support, emotional maturity, intellectual capacity, libertarianism and the ethics of lovingkindness. I’ll never stop prepping, as there's always more to learn, more to share, more to build. My prepping-specific fear, other than, y'know, running out of matches or peanut butter, is that some preppers don't so much prep for catastrophe as long for it, hoping for an opportunity to prove themselves right and to be the heroes of their personal vision of apocalyptic badassery.

My focus in 2019 will be finding a property and growing some simple things in pots and tubs while I observe closely and start to plan improvements to the structures and land, permanent planting beds, etc. I also need to start a proper storeroom, rationalise my gear and work out prioritised lists of needs, wants and dreams.

Skills and stuff enable each other: the right combination allows for the most effective and efficient practical application of skills.

Skills to learn/improve (no particular order)
  • Refresh my first aid skills: lots of practise with the manual, using friends as patients
  • Fishing: get a basic rod and tackle, find some likely spots and go for it!
  • Canning and fermenting: experiment and make notes to learn from mistakes
  • Use of firearms and hunting: local range and shoot(s); on my own land, if I’ve got the space
  • Car mechanics and advanced driving skills: lots of driving, decent maintenance manual, perhaps a college course
  • Develop my handy skills like basic plumbing, carpentry and bricklaying: again, work from my manuals, practise on my own property, maybe take courses
  • Increased assertiveness and situational awareness: get out into the world, meet people, practise
It won’t all happen next year, of course, but it’s good to plan.

Gear to acquire
  • Pressure canner and canning supplies
  • A decent wheelbarrow
  • Big Berkey water filter
  • Wine gear, ready for all those brambles in the autumn
  • Fuelwood gear: good axe, maul and wedge, perhaps a chainsaw
  • Not gear but... dog!
 
One thing I liked about bluejoys post in particular was the point about a lot of preppers almost seem to want society to collapse. Personally I really like the comfortable life I have now. Electricity is wonderful stuff, not to mention since I’m an electrician I wouldn’t have a business without it.... we live in a time where average people have it easier than any time in history. I really don’t want to see it all come crashing down. I also wonder about the ones that show no compassion for others, proudly boasting that stupid people should starve to death. Let’s all remember that while we can’t feed the masses, we should show fellow human beings some compassion.
 
One thing I liked about bluejoys post in particular was the point about a lot of preppers almost seem to want society to collapse. Personally I really like the comfortable life I have now. Electricity is wonderful stuff, not to mention since I’m an electrician I wouldn’t have a business without it.... we live in a time where average people have it easier than any time in history. I really don’t want to see it all come crashing down. I also wonder about the ones that show no compassion for others, proudly boasting that stupid people should starve to death. Let’s all remember that while we can’t feed the masses, we should show fellow human beings some compassion.

Exactly!
 
I’m preparing for the breakdown of the current culture of maximum harm and for climatic changes. My prepping is partly an effort to avoid mere subsistence should a catastrophic event or major civil unrest occur and partly an effort to reduce or alleviate catastrophic disruption by building resilience, shortening supply chains, creating banks of skills and tools, increasing both self-reliance and mutual support, emotional maturity, intellectual capacity, libertarianism and the ethics of lovingkindness. I’ll never stop prepping, as there's always more to learn, more to share, more to build. My prepping-specific fear, other than, y'know, running out of matches or peanut butter, is that some preppers don't so much prep for catastrophe as long for it, hoping for an opportunity to prove themselves right and to be the heroes of their personal vision of apocalyptic badassery.

My focus in 2019 will be finding a property and growing some simple things in pots and tubs while I observe closely and start to plan improvements to the structures and land, permanent planting beds, etc. I also need to start a proper storeroom, rationalise my gear and work out prioritised lists of needs, wants and dreams.

Skills and stuff enable each other: the right combination allows for the most effective and efficient practical application of skills.

Skills to learn/improve (no particular order)
  • Refresh my first aid skills: lots of practise with the manual, using friends as patients
  • Fishing: get a basic rod and tackle, find some likely spots and go for it!
  • Canning and fermenting: experiment and make notes to learn from mistakes
  • Use of firearms and hunting: local range and shoot(s); on my own land, if I’ve got the space
  • Car mechanics and advanced driving skills: lots of driving, decent maintenance manual, perhaps a college course
  • Develop my handy skills like basic plumbing, carpentry and bricklaying: again, work from my manuals, practise on my own property, maybe take courses
  • Increased assertiveness and situational awareness: get out into the world, meet people, practise
It won’t all happen next year, of course, but it’s good to plan.

Gear to acquire
  • Pressure canner and canning supplies
  • A decent wheelbarrow
  • Big Berkey water filter
  • Wine gear, ready for all those brambles in the autumn
  • Fuelwood gear: good axe, maul and wedge, perhaps a chainsaw
  • Not gear but... dog!
I think your prepping philosophy is one of the better (and better articulated) I've come across on this site.
 
Now here is where I create hate and havoc. First why should anybody help feed somebody else? Second, I do NOT wish for a collapse, I do expect it to happen. Too many folks still believe there can be a free lunch. Do I care about my fellow man ---YES --- but just those that are productive and self sufficient. Why should I care about the others? All the good feeling are just there to be self serving, too make you feel good at this moment. Feeding somebody that constantly failed to open their eyes to what is going on around them, it self defeating. Band with those that did prepare and the others are on their own. Please NOTE: I am not advocating attacking those that are unprepared (no Marauding is suggested), I am just advocating leaving them to their own devises.

Preppers are not the only folks that have access to the news. 90 percent of the world is informed to the events going on around them. Why then should any body help out those who not only did not prep but made fun or even tried to impede the preppers.

Now since we have folks that talk about the milk of human kindness, please justify why --- I--- not you, --- should be helping out those folks that failed to read the writing (IN VERY BIG PRINT) on the wall. Some folks think there is something special about being a human being. Wrong, human beings are just smarter animals. I do not look forward to the hardships after it SHTF but I can't put my head in the sand either. There will be many good people, some bad people but very few stupid people left after whatever disaster befalls the country. Why would anybody try and help out any of the few surviving stupid people? Minimum data cost of a smart phone is $30, more that a stupid flip phone. How many gallons of water would that buy each month? Basic cable TV is $50 to $60 per month. How much extra food would that buy? The point is, we get the same information, we all make financial choices. The prepper is trying to make choices between basic needs and pleasure (feel Good) items. I don't need cable TV. I don't need a smart phone data plan. I do need more food stored, I do need more water stored, I do need more batteries, solar equipment, food prep items and a million other items that will provide me a better chance for survival. I do not intend to waste a single item or a minute of my time caring for those that refused to plan for themselves. In fact I don't want them to survive and breed more stupid people for the future to have to contend with. Nature has methods to reduce over population and we should learn from nature. Once the SHTF event is subsiding, this nation will have to rebuild and there will not be any room for the stupid.

Now let the debate begin..
 
Gear to acquire
  • Pressure canner and canning supplies
  • Fuelwood gear: good axe, maul and wedge, perhaps a chainsaw
  • Not gear but... dog!
I'll give some suggestions of gear I use. Might give you a start.

Pressure Canner: All American 21-1/2-quart pressure cooker and canner

Fuelwood Gear: Estwing 16" hatchet, Council Tool felling axe, Fiskars 36" splitting axe & wedge and Bahco 30" bow saw. Of course, living on a farmstead, I have several chainsaws but the above gear is great for a prepper needing tools to harvest wood using hand tools.

Dog: We have 10 rescues from the pound. I prefer mixed breeds as they are healthier. I'd suggest a good working dog such as a lab mix.
 

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