I started prepping as you call it a truly long time ago and not much more recently like most of you who probably started later and for somewhat different reasons. I was born in the mid 50s and lived though the Cold War. I learned a lot from my mom who always had something on hand just in case even though I am sure it was never even enough for a month; she was terrified of the prospect of a nuclear war which folks back then thought was inevitable. I also learned from the Civil Defense film shorts and from drills while in grammar school. Then there were the hard times. My old man and mom got divorced when I was 8 or 9. He did not give us even a penny. My mom did the best she could to support herself and my brother, sister and me with mostly part time work. Then there was the assistance; I stood in line for free cheese, free butter, free honey and went to the stores with food stamps even though it was pretty embarrassing as a pre-teen and young teen. I do not recall if we were ever actually on welfare, I think maybe once for a brief time, but my mom was too proud and had too much of a work ethic to go that route for long.
My mom's work ethic that was transferred to me. I partied hard as a teen and even into my college days trying to rid myself of the reality of being poor but what she had along a work ethic and what she did along prepping lines sank into my thick skull regardless. I have worked all my life since I was a teenager and got through high school and college with the goal of getting a decent job and to never be poor again and again that was without really understanding that was why I was doing what I was doing. Funny, as a kid and even a teen, even in my twenties, I never realized (or waned to admit) how poor we were or had been. It did not sink in except maybe when waiting on line for cheese or with food stamps in my hand. Anyway, once I got out of college and finally got into a career in federal law enforcement (arresting illegals and customs violators so usually not arresting U.S. citizens) I started to really prep after once getting a check with the decimal point in the wrong spot, a check for about $5.12 for a two week pay period instead of $512.00! I had about a whole $25 or $30 more than that to last two weeks. I lived on rabbits and quail I shot, what little I had in the fridge, and a very small loan from a buddy of mine (maybe $20 of the total amount I just mentioned). Then all of the past kicked in and I realized I was in the real world and needed to be ready for SHTF in whatever shape or form it arrived in at my door. It was a wake up call for sure and I started planning and preparing for the worst even if only just a bit.
Yet, even today, after many more hardships and lessons learned, I am not a prepper on a grand scale. I have food enough for me and my family for probably two or three months - at least certainly for a month and a half. I have enough ammo to last several years, if used only for hunting and if I am successful with almost every shot I fire. I have other supplies as well and have some bullion on hand too though nowhere near enough if the economy goes belly up or my federal pension takes a hit. I have had it pretty good and got lax. Then, recent world and national and even state political events have made me realize it is time to wake up again. I never stopped prepping completely but never did enough of it as far as I am concerned.
Thus, I need to build it all up to have a more substantial amount on hand because as has become only too plain in recent years we are headed for utter tyranny and an all out ensuing revolution in this country and or maybe even for WWIII as well (look at what China has been doing over the past 40-50 years relative to military build-up and look to Russia and North Korea also). If you have not noticed, Obama has almost single handedly rekindled the cold war with Russia and China and North Korea (though he had help from Bill Clinton with North Korea) and he has added countries like Venezuela and Iran to the mix and added the so called JV Team of ISIS as well. Then, with douche bags like Obama and the Demoncrats and RINOs running things, there just may be a total financial collapse of the U.S. economy due to how much the deficit has grown; we cannot keep spending more than we produce without dire consequences sooner or later. So I prep now and then and hope it will b enough to get us through until we can group with others of like mind to survive and regain a Constitutional Republic.
All the best,
Glenn B
My mom's work ethic that was transferred to me. I partied hard as a teen and even into my college days trying to rid myself of the reality of being poor but what she had along a work ethic and what she did along prepping lines sank into my thick skull regardless. I have worked all my life since I was a teenager and got through high school and college with the goal of getting a decent job and to never be poor again and again that was without really understanding that was why I was doing what I was doing. Funny, as a kid and even a teen, even in my twenties, I never realized (or waned to admit) how poor we were or had been. It did not sink in except maybe when waiting on line for cheese or with food stamps in my hand. Anyway, once I got out of college and finally got into a career in federal law enforcement (arresting illegals and customs violators so usually not arresting U.S. citizens) I started to really prep after once getting a check with the decimal point in the wrong spot, a check for about $5.12 for a two week pay period instead of $512.00! I had about a whole $25 or $30 more than that to last two weeks. I lived on rabbits and quail I shot, what little I had in the fridge, and a very small loan from a buddy of mine (maybe $20 of the total amount I just mentioned). Then all of the past kicked in and I realized I was in the real world and needed to be ready for SHTF in whatever shape or form it arrived in at my door. It was a wake up call for sure and I started planning and preparing for the worst even if only just a bit.
Yet, even today, after many more hardships and lessons learned, I am not a prepper on a grand scale. I have food enough for me and my family for probably two or three months - at least certainly for a month and a half. I have enough ammo to last several years, if used only for hunting and if I am successful with almost every shot I fire. I have other supplies as well and have some bullion on hand too though nowhere near enough if the economy goes belly up or my federal pension takes a hit. I have had it pretty good and got lax. Then, recent world and national and even state political events have made me realize it is time to wake up again. I never stopped prepping completely but never did enough of it as far as I am concerned.
Thus, I need to build it all up to have a more substantial amount on hand because as has become only too plain in recent years we are headed for utter tyranny and an all out ensuing revolution in this country and or maybe even for WWIII as well (look at what China has been doing over the past 40-50 years relative to military build-up and look to Russia and North Korea also). If you have not noticed, Obama has almost single handedly rekindled the cold war with Russia and China and North Korea (though he had help from Bill Clinton with North Korea) and he has added countries like Venezuela and Iran to the mix and added the so called JV Team of ISIS as well. Then, with douche bags like Obama and the Demoncrats and RINOs running things, there just may be a total financial collapse of the U.S. economy due to how much the deficit has grown; we cannot keep spending more than we produce without dire consequences sooner or later. So I prep now and then and hope it will b enough to get us through until we can group with others of like mind to survive and regain a Constitutional Republic.
All the best,
Glenn B
5 comments:
Began the year before the millenium just in case the computers failed.....Had a few months worth of food on hand,...stocked a bot more ammo.
Haven't stopped since. Have a lot more food, a lot more ammo and other such things to make sure that I have what I need ...IF I ever need it.
I hope it is all wasted money. I'm now tossing foodstuffs that are over 15 years old....
Our childhoods sound similar except that I had Grandparents who stepped in when things got real bad. I spent a lot of time with them and actually wound u living with them after I left home at 15. They were originally from the South and had grown up at the tail end of the Great Depression. I picked up on some of their ways, I prefer to buy in bulk and have long term options. The Y2K thing really pushed me into the prepping but it has waxed and waned over the years. My wife is the exact opposite and basically doesn't cook on a regular basis, buys prepared frozen foods and goes shopping every week. She buys the same things every week and there isn't any real food in this house. I opened a cabinet looking for something to eat the other day and it was completely full of junk food. Chips, cookies, Ho Ho's, you get the idea.
This has been a bone of contention for some time now and I finally decided to prep without her and whether or not she likes it. You probably saw my posts about the vacuum sealer get up I built. I am using it.
I also have enough food out in the garage to last at least 3 weeks in an emergency. I have been poor and I have been hungry. People who grow up like that tend not to forget it.
I certainly haven't. There is more to my prepping but this has gotten too long as it is. Suffice it to say I see bad things coming and want to at least have enough to give me some options.
guess i was always one. we raised almost all our food, out of necessity. as an adult,i started as soon as i got settled in to a permanent home just pryor to y2k. let it lapse a bit until i retired in 2010, then went all in. have food for 5 years, enough ammo etc for a small south american coup. spent too much money but its all edible or usable or i can sell it for a profit at this point. times get hard i just dig into my pantry. i think times are about to get hard. my income stream all eminates from the govt in one form or other. have a feeling its going to get cut back to pay the free stuff army.
It's crazy because the Germans are being told to stock up or prep and it is all because the world is increasing getting worse in spite of the goody goodies.
I lived through the Blizzard of 78 and watched how my mom through her food storage and such, we were able to live for three months with 20 plus people quite well. She was a depression WWII baby and she always taught us to remember that bad times can happen any time or place.
Prepping for me is life. I worked hard to learn skills on raising livestock, butchering, canning, drying and preserving the meats as well as the produce. I have studied how to live in the desert and what is food etc.
I also worry for those in the cities, as Venezuela is the perfect example. Fleeing isn't always an option from a large metropolis.
As I read B's comment I want to say this, stock piling is important but having seeds and the ability to continue food on is the key. And I may be too frugal but I would not toss foods unless they weren't kept in a cool environment. Food use by dates aren't always the guide, instead the guide is how you store it.
I feed the quail here and they come EVERY single day, and if need be, Bill and I would have a large amount of food by feeding in a closed pen(mesh on top), which the quail are now conditioned to go to, and then bam we close the gate.
Well I pray we as a people can rise from the pits we are in, as Trump nor Clinton have much to change the path. Instead I live and continue to learn all the while praying for a change world wide.
Take care Glenn,
Jen
Humble Wife:
I am tossing cans that are pushing 20 years old, at this point. I have enough seeds to lose 3 tries and still feed 20 people (if I can prep enough land) for a year. Plus tools to till the soil and fertilizers to condition it.
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