I like this guy(?) already... I tell you what... I hear all too often that people are into prepping and that heir loved ones think that they're crazy. I think if we can't show our loved ones that this is a valid and logical thought process/activity then we're in BIG trouble. Either we don't yet have the conviction and knowledge to explain it properly or they haven't had their cages rattled hard enough by life's little monsters. I think living where you do makes it a logical thought process for all of you. Many of us that live in a more urban setting take the comforts of society for granted. Once someone is faced with a situation they can't handle and no one comes to "Make it all better" they quickly find out that being prepared is common sense. I have lived in suburban and urban areas my whole life but have loved the wilderness and the greatness that mother nature has provided for us. Everything from hiking to camping to getting a truck unstuck has helped me come to this conclusion. In my area, a lot of preppers start from a defensive standpoint. They are attacked in their homes, on the street, or know someone who is. They start to think about guns, knives, pepper spray, etc as the first thing they can do to "Prepare" for a likely crisis. I think it grows from there. It seems many who are from more rural areas start like your family has and the worries of human threats come along long after the threats of ignoring God's gifts of nature. Snow storms, floods, even farming and hunting are all challenges that the rural preppers encounter earlier and more often than the urban threats of crack heads, gangs, and riots.
I'm looking forward very much to learning a lot from Chance and from our other members that hail from more rural settings...
Thanks Alabaster. I admire your insight and perspective. The 2 largest cities Casper and Cheyenne, have about 110 to 120 thousand residents together. The rest of our state are smaller enclaves dotted around the state, usually with miles of open prairie and mountains in between. Storing water and fuel, growing and canning food, hunting and fishing, smoking and drying our meats and vegetables, preparing for any kind of weather, and maintaining various forms of transportation to do all this, is every day life. We are already pretty self reliant people just to live here. Aquiring and maintaining weaponry of all kinds is the norm. A right of passage for our children is to receive and learn to maintain their first hunting rifle. Wild game and home grown vegetables are staples for many, including us. I guess you could say, we already have a head start with being prepared, just by living in Wyoming.
I saw a thread about, "what have you done to prep". I think I will share what we have done in that forum. As time allows. I work between 60 and 70 hours a week, so not alot of free time. Living between 6 and 8 thousand feet above sea level presents it's own set of challenges. 35 to 60 pus mph winds are almsot a daily occurance in the Fall, Winter, and Spring seasons. Add snow and fog, and it becomes an adventure just getting to work. I drive about 100 miles a day maintaining our 2 stores. Cheyenne and Laramie, about 50 miles apart. Go from 6,000 ft to over 8,000ft and back to 7,200 feet, which is Laramie, and then come home at night. Been doing it 8 years now. Yep, we are slightly crazy. lol
I would say the majoity of Wyoming residents are aware of the many potentials for disaster in the world, and are somewhat already marginally prepared. With that said, I better get to work.
I'll try to post information about what we have done to prepare, that I think might be helpful to others, and follow others threads. We can never know too much or be overly prepared. Survival is basic to all God's creatures.
Thanks Again!