Where to start prepping.

[valkyrie10]

When you first become aware of the impending crisis and make the decision to be prepapared getting started can seem like a daunting task. It is all too easy to become obsessed with one aspect of preparedness (yes Guns) and to ignore other factors that are as important, if not more so.

The best method that I have found is to approach the plan in terms of 1 week sections. This means that you will begin by looking at what you use in 1 week and stockpile food/ medicines/ fuel etc for that time. You can then add to this until you have 1 months supplies.

Once I have 1 months worth I then begin to purchase bulk supplies of the same items until I reach a level that I am happy with. Most people prepare for 1 year, others for longer.

Barter goods such as silver, gold, booze etc should only be considered once you have your other preps in order.

[master blaster]

The first thing that I believe is required is to sit (with family where appropriate)
and develop a basic response plan. A decision needs to be made as to whether you will stay with the home front (my preference) or rally at a seperate predesignated location. The questions of how you will communicate wiith family not in hand; round everyone up and if you can't locate them; need to be worked out so that everyone is on the bus.

Laying Up Stores

In theory I agree completely with your assertion that addressing the issue of stores (this is a daunting task at best) 1 week at a time is sound. However, I think that most folks would have difficulty from a financial standpoint, trying to lay up a weeks worth of essentials.

I suggest that initially, a three day supply of the basics be considered. This gives a sence of the scope and magnitude of this undertaking.

Concentrate on food, water, medications, light, security, and the so often forgotten personal hygeine items.

Things like human waste disposal, toilet needs (paper, soad or hand cleaner, etc.... are often overlooked when planning is being conducted.

The truth is "ya gotta go" and if the water is out you better have a backup plan because this is one area that will kill you faster than you can imagine, if not handled adequately. 80 + % of all war casualties are the result of disease. Most of which can be traced to basic hygeine issues.

[411man]

Two great and very helpful posts. Thank you master blaster and valkyrie10.

The consultation and catagorization methods are excellent approaches.

Using coupons, sale fliers, etc. can not only hold down costs but assist in deciding what particular item to purchase and when.

The gradual approach does work and produce surprising results in less time than one might think.

[Ryder]

Getting up a good years supply of food per person IS a daunting task. When money is tight, try to at least pick up an extra can of soup here or there, an extra packet of pasta ect. Soon your stores will begin to grow.

Catch sales, visit the Dollar stores for non brand names canned goods. The Dollar General stores here locally have the small tuna fish sized cans of chunk chicken for a $1. You can't tell the difference between it and the $1.34 can of Hormel chunk chicken.

Even with minimal food storage, you are way ahead of the Everyday Joe.

[ARMORER]

It may seem like a lot of money but the best thangs I bought for food are a good dehydrator and a Food saver vacum sealer-but you can do the same for cheaper if you learn how-I pick up each time at the store(grocery,dollar,whatever)one or more items of what we mormally eat-rotate them around and add more-we also try to vary our meals and use simple items(cup of rice,dried hamburger rocks,gravy mix)(dehy veggies,stew meat)(sausage rocks,gravy,homemade bread)(hbr,tomatoe sauce,flour,buns)now I do add spices to all these LOL so not so bland-we eat simple but we eat good and with what we will have if we cannot git to the stores -oh and have jello.puddings,cake mixes on hand-just start little at a time and like was said before ya'll know it-ARMORER

[Goldenspurholderx2]

I have been doing a little at a time. I didn't wait to start laying up stocks of trade silver or have yet to lay up tons of ammo. I treat all aspects as pretty equal.

I was in a situation where I had plenty of food and ammo but limited water. We had 5gal. of water to split between 4 men for our weekly laundry and "showers". That wasn't fun.

Right now I only have 2months worth of food stores, about 250 rounds of ammo, maybe $30.00 face in trade silver, 15 gal in fuel stores(my vehicle is never allowed to go below half) and about 50gal of stored water.

I try to "add to" a little at a time. Most of the non-consumables like a solar shower, sleeping bags, multi-fuel stoves, and lanterns are taken care of. I would still like to add a good radio(CB?)and a portable solar system with some batteries. Just got to do what you can when you can. If I felt something was impending then yeah, I'd go out and drain the bank account and buy all the goods I could, but that would just be foolish for me right now.

One guy that I know makes candles for his emergency stores and every month a crafts shop out here runs a 20% off cupon in the paper. Every other month he alternates between picking himself up a 5lb bar of parafin wax and a bag of wicks. That is the way it should be in my mind, unless money is no object.

[akfanatic]

I have been doing a little at a time.

+1 on this concept.
I'm trying to pick up extra stuff each payday.
The dollar store is my friend :) .

[TheOtherChris]

... However, I think that most folks would have difficulty from a financial standpoint, trying to lay up a weeks worth of essentials. issues...

While only one component of essential supplies, food is probably the cheapest and easiest place to begin preparations.

The food you store should be the same stuff you buy every day. Instead of buying a week's worth of food, buy 8 days but put that extra day's worth in a separate place.
Or, start to purchase one extra "meal" every time you shop; even if it is just an extra box of generic mac-n-cheese.
With very little effort or expense, you can build up a month's worth in a hurry.

Then, after you make your grocery list and go shopping, check to see which items you bought that are already in storage. Pull the stored items for the cupboard and put the newly purchased items back in storage. That way you're always rotating.

[SniperBait]

While only one component of essential supplies, food is probably the cheapest and easiest place to begin preparations.

The food you store should be the same stuff you buy every day. Instead of buying a week's worth of food, buy 8 days but put that extra day's worth in a separate place.
Or, start to purchase one extra "meal" every time you shop; even if it is just an extra box of generic mac-n-cheese.
With very little effort or expense, you can build up a month's worth in a hurry.

Then, after you make your grocery list and go shopping, check to see which items you bought that are already in storage. Pull the stored items for the cupboard and put the newly purchased items back in storage. That way you're always rotating.

I look at survival food preps from a different direction. IMHO, food preps are an insurance policy not groceries. When you buy insurance you don't want to spend a lot, but you want a big pay out when you need it.

Buying canned goods at the store is a huge waste of funds that could be spent elsewhere. Buy calories in bulk. Not shiny cans. A 50# bag of Richland LG Rice is $11 at Sam's. And has 80,640 calories.

$11 will get you 10 cans of soup or 1500 calories.

Everyone should learn how to store bulk food in mylar with Oxygen absorbers. The most expensive part of this traditional storage method is the five gallon pail. I recommend you forgo it and use rubber maid 18 gallon totes. Which are a third of the price.

Some here will say other then calories these foods have no nutritional value.
Nutrition post SHTF is a myth. IMHO, Nutritionist will be the first to fall by the "wayside". Just stock up on vitamins and freeze them!

Rice ($11/50#), Flour ($5/50#), beans ($.58/#), and cooking oil ($12/5gal) are your base. Everything else is an add on. Spend money on a good water filter system and a high quality (15PSI) pressure cooker. You will need the pressure cooker to conserve fuel while cooking rice and beans.

Despite what the grain mill merchants say. Flour lasts for many years. Everything in flour was in the whole grain. Forget the bake ovens and home made bread. It takes hours of fuel, eggs and yeast to bake bread. Just plan on making oil fried flat breads in a skillet. Takes less then a minute.

Once you actually have a base of food. Then you can branch off and buy comfort foods to make the base foods better. These will also be something you can put away and not think about for 20 years. Number 10 cans of powdered Milk substitute ($9), Powdered whole eggs (180 eggs / $10), powdered cheese, powdered potato flakes.

Trying to eat home food storage is actually work. Rotation, watching dates, eating soggy green beans, shopping. I did it, it's a pain in the butt. Or you can do it all once over a weekend and for the most part be done with it. Sure you will have to check the fry oil and flour every year and replace if needed.

This link, if it works here, will give you the basics of long term storage.
http://athagan.members.atlantic.net/PFSFAQ/PFSFAQ-1.html


Keep in mind that TEOTWAWKI may not happen in our life times. I bought a designated BOV in 1982. It's a Chevy BlazerChalet. Basically the first off road Expedition type vehicle. Twenty- five years this thing has been sitting loaded for bear, in it's own garage, waiting to make one mad ride to safety. I rarely drive it. Every ten years, I replace everything rubber on it, do the carb, pumps everything. One fall day in 1982, if you asked me what the world would be like in twenty-five years. I would have told you: "I will be walking across the waste land with Mel Gibson!" Yet here we are talking on a computer, with a freezer full of fudgecycles! Make your preps, do them cheaply, then enjoy the fact that times are not that bad. SB

[witchdoctor]

The idea of storing up supplies only makes sense, but what supplies are important to you may not be important to someone else. I have focused on a few good packs, a good rifle, ammo, food, and water. Medical supplies are already well stockpiled due to my profession. Water is the hardest thing for me to store, in my one bedroom apartment there is not a lot of room for 55gal drums or even 5gal containers. Hopefully I would have time to fill the tub full of water before it is shut off or interrupted. I have MRE's and MRE Meat Packs (THEY WERE FREE) piled up for about 3-4 months of food, again water is the issue. The non-disposible stuff is covered and tactical gear is covered.

I have decided to sell most of my under-used whaker tactical gear on EBay for money to buy food, water, ammo, and such items. I have started buying the nicer stuff lately like non-military issue packs and water purification devices. And as I sit here the dehydrator is making its first batch of dried fruit, or should I say attempting to make!!!:D

I have been thinking about stockpiling liquer, since it will be worth a lot in a Post-economic collapse society (PECS). Also, I have thought about stockpiling bleach, since it has so many uses. You can purify water with it, clean, disinfect, and wash clothes with it (screw the bleaching effect, my drawers will need to be cleaned).

[Dr. X]

Many good points here, some I've not thought of. Thanks! Don't forget that in your stuff for barter, a box of .22 ammo (post TEOTWAWKI) will be worth as much as silver or liquor, if not more...

as ever,
Dr. X

[akfanatic]

Post-economic collapse society (PECS)
:D :D :p

[Jonas Parker]

Don't forget salt. Not only is it needed for cooking, but also for making jerky. I also bought several packages of the powdered Gator-ade mixes, good for rehydration and a lifesaver for replacing electrolytes in dehydrated children with dysentery.

[snolden]

learn how to make fry bread, tortillas, liquor, etc and buy the equpment to do so. Don't worry so much about multiple years worth of stuff. Learn long term survival skills.

It is easy to make liquor, bread, even easy to make electric motors/generators. You jsut have to know how. For the small scale SHTF (hurricanes, earthquakes, etc) your stockpile will serve you. Do some risk management: the chance of TEOTW is small enough that you shouldn't spend large amounts of resources on it. However, the effects of TEOTW are such that you should be prepared to suvive.

One thing I do stock up on in SERIOUS bulk is sugar. I routinely keep 50+ lbs of cane sugar, another 10 lbs of brown sugar and several bags of powdered sugar on hand.

[SniperBait]

Many good points here, some I've not thought of. Thanks! Don't forget that in your stuff for barter, a box of .22 ammo (post TEOTWAWKI) will be worth as much as silver or liquor, if not more...

as ever,
Dr. X


DISCLAIMER: In a peaceful society where the rule of law hangs over the heads of violent/desperate people. I am all for the citizens right to bare arms for their own protection.


This is another case where you have to look at Barter another way. IMHO, liquor is the last commodity you want to possess or sell post SHTF. Liquor magnifies a human personality. If they are scared, desperate, violent, hungry or a dickhead. You are creating a problem for yourself. Watch the show "COPS". In every tale of woe, booze will flow!

What will happen when Jimmy-Joe down the road can't deal with the stress of TEOTWAWKI and really needs another drink. He gives you everything he has. Then still wants more. Trust me if you turn him away, he will fixate on you.

Gun's and Ammo, the same thing. I don't want anyone else armed. The fewer firearms the better. Go check out the Zombie forums. Imagine a world where bands of these heavily armed kids roam your AO with no fear of the law. The zombie is a euphemism for YOU.

I may not be able to do anything about what is already out there. But it will be over my dead body before I hand over a single .22 round.

[padeep]

SB;

Trade/barter during SHTF appears more complicated than I thought:

In an emergency, I wouldnt want strangers coming to the house to trade ammo, booze or otherwise. I also dont want the neighborhood folks directing others to my place because "he's got a ton of ammo":eek:

I do think this stuff could be safely traded or sold away from the house, or with people/markets/businessmen you trust.

The idea of trading one drink or one bullet for everything a person has seems unfair and dangerous if your doing it on your own turf.


Pdp

[TheOtherChris]

I look at survival food preps from a different direction. IMHO, food preps are an insurance policy not groceries. When you buy insurance you don't want to spend a lot, but you want a big pay out when you need it.

Buying canned goods at the store is a huge waste of funds that could be spent elsewhere. Buy calories in bulk. Not shiny cans. A 50# bag of Richland LG Rice is $11 at Sam's. And has 80,640 calories.

$11 will get you 10 cans of soup or 1500 calories.

That is an interesting way to look at it. I guess the first question a 'preparer' needs to ask is what is the desired outcome for which they're preparing.
Personally, I store supplies which will facilitate my family's transition through a crisis. I have used my storage supplies during times of personal financial hardship. My family and I benefitted from the fact that it was a "normal" diet (for us).


Everyone should learn how to store bulk food in mylar with Oxygen absorbers. The most expensive part of this traditional storage method is the five gallon pail. I recommend you forgo it and use rubber maid 18 gallon totes. Which are a third of the price.

Some here will say other then calories these foods have no nutritional value.
Nutrition post SHTF is a myth. IMHO, Nutritionist will be the first to fall by the "wayside". Just stock up on vitamins and freeze them!

While nutritional requirements should be evaluated based on based on current circumstances, nutrition is never a "myth".


Rice ($11/50#), Flour ($5/50#), beans ($.58/#), and cooking oil ($12/5gal) are your base. Everything else is an add on. Spend money on a good water filter system and a high quality (15PSI) pressure cooker. You will need the pressure cooker to conserve fuel while cooking rice and beans.

Despite what the grain mill merchants say. Flour lasts for many years. Everything in flour was in the whole grain.
True, but not everything that is in whole grain is in flour. A lot of the nutritional value of whole grain is lost (through oxidation) shortly after milling. Once you compromise the whole kernel, it begins to degrade. Sure "old" flour is still usable for its caloric content, but it will be less beneficial to the body than freshly milled. Each individual must decide what that is worth to them.


Trying to eat home food storage is actually work. Rotation, watching dates, eating soggy green beans, shopping. I did it, it's a pain in the butt. Or you can do it all once over a weekend and for the most part be done with it. Sure you will have to check the fry oil and flour every year and replace if needed.


TEOTWAWKI is, by definition, a pain in the butt.
We prepare on this end (which is a pain) to minimize the pain on the other end.

Again, I guess each individual should first ask "What am I preparing for and what do I want those preps to do for me?

[Godscarp]

Gun's and Ammo, the same thing. I don't want anyone else armed. The fewer firearms the better. Go check out the Zombie forums. Imagine a world where bands of these heavily armed kids roam your AO with no fear of the law. The zombie is a euphemism for YOU.

I may not be able to do anything about what is already out there. But it will be over my dead body before I hand over a single .22 round.

If you follow the template layed out in "Patriots", the barter system came about only after there was some semblance of stabiltity. Trading guns and ammo with trusted neighbors or the group of folks who "survived" the intital trials of TEOTWAWKI is not the same concept of handing a jug or a weapon to some refugee wandering up your driveway.

Carp

[Dr. X]

Imagine a world where bands of these heavily armed kids roam your AO with no fear of the law.
The zombie is a euphemism for YOU...

Dammit, who ratted me out? :p
As far as heavily armed kids roaming my AO, they already ARE! ( in the form of tweakers) and the 'noid suckers'll strike at nothing and ain't scared of crap. This is why I always carry a little .45 therapy to adjust their attitudes if they decide to flip wiggy on ME...:cool: My place is where you'll get drilled by my FAL, and the punks know it. I ain't Bad, but the Bad don't f*ck with me...

as ever,
Dr. Zomb...er, I mean X

[OREGON FAL'ER]

Also, I have thought about stockpiling bleach, since it has so many uses. You can purify water with it, clean, disinfect, and wash clothes with it (screw the bleaching effect, my drawers will need to be cleaned). Yes absolutely on the drawers. I'm with the witchdoctor on that. There are others who will want clean drawers too, people will be scared and skid marks will be the standard. must go forth and stock up on bleach.

[JC Refuge]

Some good thoughts here. I think it's very important to approach crisis preparedness methodically, taking things logically, within one's budget, and in a way that delivers adequate peace of mind.

That said, there is an approach to becoming ready out there that is quite commonplace. It is for folks with more money than time, and a desire to "get 'er done."

I don't see that addressed in this thread so I'll just give that some play here ...

Let's face it, most people today are accustomed to instant gratification and buying what they want or hiring someone to do it for them. Obviously, in a worst-case scenario, that's not going to serve them well. But that fact does not negate the logic in at least having those folks prepped to whatever extent they will. Odds are always going to be much better that a crisis where preps are going to be needed is still going to be a temporary condition, within a limited geography ... as opposed to the end of the world dropping out of the sky.

So, with that in mind, let's say a head of household, Red, suddenly decides he has neglected to adequately plan for his family to get through some reasonable potential contingencies. He determines he will find $5000 in the budget or the nest egg to pull together a few well-chosen necessities that will almost immediately allow him to sleep better at night.

I invite other suggestions, but my view is that if Red starts with nothing, he would be well-advised to cover a few life-sustaining basics ...

1. Food. This person is not likely to want to first learn how to grow his own or dehydrate his own food or can it or vacuum seal it, etc. He doesn't even want to give much thought to what it is he will eat and he sure won't want to rotate his food once he buys it. (I know--it's my business.) He will want to spend maybe half his budget on long-term storage food (think 30-year shelf life). The money will get him about 900 meals of some good freeze-dried food. That's a good start.

2. Water. Red will want to spend a few hundred dollars to ensure access to clean drinking water, to the tune of at LEAST one gallon per person per day. Depending on whether he is near a river or lake or has city water and/or has a well, he should pony up at least $200 for a decent water filter. He should also consider spending $200 or more for water storage barrels to fill them up for a last resort reserve.

3. Let's say Red has $2000 more to invest in his quest for peace of mind in a threatening world. A firearm or two with some ammo would be well-advised for almost any household, depending on local laws. A shotgun and handgun are a nice combo for self-defense, as well as providing some level of hunting utility, with the specific gun choices to be hammered out in another thread. ;) Let's say he can do this nicely for $1000.

4. Here's where personal circumstances and preferences become more subjective. What to do with the last $1000? Well, personally, I would look very carefully at home security. Find ways to bolster the real security of the home and/or look at the possibility of building or installing a saferoom or underground shelter. If there is a basement, Red might be able to use concrete blocks to brick up a corner saferoom/storm shelter with a steel door, and keep costs within the $1000.

Others might suggest some of the money go into bug-out preps, and of course that makes sense especially in forest fire and hurricane territory.

Anyway, that's a brief start on this quick-fix approach to prepping.

[Goldenspurholderx2]

OK, I'll play. Assuming Red is a total urbanite yuppie and has no outdoor or self reliance skills, in other words he has a mechanic flown in from Germany to change the wiper blades on his BMW. For his family of three I would spend:

$2,500.00 on a year supply of Mountain House Meals. They are easy to prepare and would give them 4 months of food.

$500.00 on a good multi-fuel stove like a Colman that can use white gas or unleaded, fuel, repair kit, solar battery charger and some batteries, LED flash light, an AM/FM/SW receiver(radio&flashlight batteries common), some cheap -20 degree sleeping bags, a water filter with cleanable cartridges, spare cartridges and repair kit.

$250.00 on personal hygiene products to also include toilet paper, a sun shower, first aid kit, household medications, laundry detergent,and a shovel to bury feces.

$150.00 on self reliance books like "Back To Basics" doesn't have to read them now, but it'll show him what a dumb a$$ he was as he is trying to figure out how to survive.

$100.00 on generic cigarettes to go into the freezer as a barter item.

$200.00 on water storage containers with treated water.

$1100.00 on an AK(I'm an FAL man but easy to use/maintain, cheap, reliable)with 8ea 30round mags, cleaning equipment, necessary tools(sight adjustment, etc.) and as much surplus ammo as he can get with what is left over.

$200.00 on a bar-b-cue for him and his neighbors so he can at least get to know the guy on his left and right.

There will always be things you forgot but this might be a good start for our poor yuppie Red.

[JC Refuge]

There will always be things you forgot but this might be a good start for our poor yuppie Red.


Yep, Red is gonna sleep better tonight. Thing is, he's liking the feeling so much he's already wondering if he'll sleep twice as well after the next $5000 purchase. :p

[Dr. X]

$250.00 on personal hygiene products to also include toilet paper...


I'd spend $250 on buttwipe alone! Read in "Patriots" where the group finally uses the last roll...:(

As for our yuppie buddy Red, if money were no object he'd drop about 8 grand on a photovoltaic system to power his house and get off the grid, then purchase a Ferret or Saracen for transportation...:cool:

as ever,
Dr. X

[FN74]

Where to start? Easy. Food. Get a membership to one of the wholesale companies - Sams, Costco etc.
#10 cans of food store well for several years. Make sure to start rotating the food stored - use it up and replace - this is a continual thing. Water too, or the means to purify it if necessary.

Next - firearms/ammo/gear - whatever you think you'll need plus extra for backup.

Vehicle/Fuel - Make sure you vehicle is in good shape, don't let maintnance slip by - make sure you have good tires, extra fluids (Brake, Power steering, Radiator, gear oil and motor oil) and extra fuel set aside in case you need it.

Home - If "bugging in" - Harden your home as much as possible. Good security is a start. Generators where necessary if practical. Rely more on dried foodstores than frozen ones, as the freezer/refridge requires energy to keep cool. Spices - bulk spices can make beans and rice taste pretty good in a hard situation.

That would be a start - where you go with it is up to you and your situation.

Myself, I have communications setup as well, soon will have battery backup for it with solar recharge/maintenence.

[Imaexpat2]

There are a lot of ways to get from point A to point B...and they all work!

Im not rich and shamless so when I started out in order to keep things in prespective and budget I started with a 72 hour kit. It took a couple of paydays to slap one together at the rate my budget allowed but I got there and was able to stay focused.

From there I got a foot locker and set about comming up with a 1 week stash of goodies. This took about 2 months to get stocked. As soon as I had 4 of these week long footlockers set up I started to look more at buying things in bulk as I caught this or that item on sale.

With in a year and a half I found my self setting pretty solid. Im now at a point where I consume from my kit and replace the items as I consume them so as to ratate things in and out of my storage area keeping my stash fresh. Doing this has helped me cut my food bill considerably too as I find my self buying less BS and when I do buy stuff I am buying it a bulk at discounted rates.



I think the added benefit of doing things this way is, I can do it a little at a time and not break the bank. Also while having a few cases of MRE's or Freeze Dried Foods is great, the route I have taken is that I eat what I store just about everyday so when I have to resort to relying only on my stash I will be eating the same things I have been eating for months with minimal change in my normal diet. This will be one less area of stress I will have to deal with in a SHTF situation.

Aslo being the tightwad that I am by neccessity I have picked up a ton of things at garage sales over the last few years at seriously dicounted prices. I have picked up several aluminum frame cots, coleman stove, laterns, canning equipment, sewing machine, etc... at such rediculas prices I almost broke both legs running away with the booty before they changed thier minds on the price negociated! Some of my best scams have came from estate sales...I picked up a MEC 600 Jr for free cuase it was missing a couple of parts...the bushing and spring that was missing cost me 4.00! My RCBS press cost me 10.00 bucks and the large box of accessories, came with it!!!

Sometimes a lack of "fun dollars" is a blessing in disguise as it makes you exercise patience...and somethies you need that to get ahead.

[Ak_guy]

It may seem like a lot of money but the best thangs I bought for food are a good dehydrator and a Food saver vacum sealer...-ARMORER


Please elaborate on how you use the foodSaver please... I am looking to get one and unsure of what model. I also could use help on how to best store food with it.

[MdlMkr 7.62]

Here's their website

http://www.foodsaver.com/

My wife and I have one. We really like it.

A "foodsaver" and a pressure canner are 2 must haves!