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View Full Version : Your survival preparedness history...


delectric
10-07-2006, 11:17 PM
Ok, I'll tell you a little about me and how long I've been at this...

I've been doing this since 1973 ACTIVELY, prior to that it was a passive endeavor. During 1973 I became what would be called a BACKPACK SURVIVALIST, the guy with a 72 hour pack, a weapon, and pair of boots. When I got married we both of us were prearedness oriented, we went from BACKPACK to RETREAT IN PLACE. So we prepared and looked at defending the turf we had.
Things in the 'hood' changed and with children we went into RETREAT SURVIVAL MODE, we established a retreat, started building a cadre of similarily thinking people around us, aka family, friends, work associates and recriuts.
I enhanced my knowledge, even wrote a few articles for American Survival Guide, became a regional leader of LIVE FREE (a survivalist organization), and published my own survival newsletter called the REGION FIVE REPORT (it was region five of the Live Free network), I also did a few things that enhanced my training skills and did contract work for private OPFOR group for about ten years. This work got me counter-terrorism trained, and very knowledgable in the operations local, state, and federal SWAT and HRT teams.... it was fun, and got to go to interesting places, meet interesting people and play war games with them.
During this I just kept on the survival endeavor, picking up a good retreat and even better friends, some came and some left, but we just kept on trudging right along. Food and supplies have been enhanced to a level that we could make it for a year if we supplimented, which is what we wanted to do. At that point we should have recovered or developed to a level that we would be growing crops and raising our livestiock.
I've had a few set-backs thru the years, 1st wife and I split up, lost a second to breast cancer, older kids grew up and became STUPID. And now I'm raising a eight year old daughter alone, so don't anyone bitch about their problems, I'm Mr Mom now and still keeping my preps going.
It ain't perfect, but it's an endeavor, and it won't end.

Ryder
10-08-2006, 04:09 AM
I can remember as a child in the early 70's that my parents had food stores. In one of the closets my Dad had made some neat shelves that would let you rotate canned goods by dropping the newest in at the top and take the oldest ones from the bottom.

Had grown up around firearms and shooting. Had AR15 mag's at least 5 years before I got my first AR!

Began to get into the survival movement in the early 80 by picking up a "Survive" magazine. By then though, the threat of nuclear war had subsided and then came down the Wall in 1989.

Been involved with the militia movement also, being an active member of the Texas Light Infantry and the 13th Texas Infantry Regiment.

Hooked up with a good survival group in 1990 that I discovered through ASG's survival group postings and the rest is history.

akfanatic
10-09-2006, 04:38 PM
No dramatic story here.
I have been shooting since youth so that is a no-brainer.
I got interested in survival/preparedness simply because I was once financially stable and then became not. It really puts things into perspective…

FN74
10-11-2006, 04:13 PM
Became more prepardness minded in 1984, with the threat of soviet nuclear obliteration looming, I felt moved to prepare for myself and help my family prepare, however we've always had a strong sense of independence, which I'm sure fed into this greatly. I think it's just plain smart to be able to take care of yourself in a time of need. I hate dependancy.....

JC Refuge
10-12-2006, 03:35 PM
Nice place this Survival Files! My second post here ...

Been into preparedness to one degree or another for about 30 years now when I was a young Army intell analyst in W. Germany. The games being played back and forth on the border were scary and certainly put things into a stark light. I did some NSA analysis thereafter, then came out into the haze of the day-to-day rat race. Started a bit of prepping as my finances would allow and as family rearing began.

After some Federal gov work, got into corporate PR and some security consulting with businesses. That added a whole 'nother level of awareness regarding the glaring need for community preparedness improvements.

After many years of relying on a very remote and complete bugout property "up north" I slowly came to the conclusion that me and mine would be far better served to reverse course and put all our available prepping resources into bolstering our home/community preparedness. The main investment in that--a prefab steel fallout shelter under our new home addition. I subsequently was very pleased with that. At last, I felt "fully" prepped for most contingencies, so made the decision to go from self-prepping to doing my utmost to encourage others to prep well.

I started Safecastle LLC, selling preps and shelters, etc., mostly at steep discounts to anyone for the asking. I also am involved in community preparedness locally.

Bottom line for me on why to prep--do it for peace of mind. That's a very real and substantive return on your investment. Odds are, and we hope as well, we will never need to depend on our preps. Also, be a well-balanced non-threatening example of the logic behind preparedness for your peers.

Prepare because it makes you feel better about YOUR future. Be an example because it may make a difference in OUR future.

OREGON FAL'ER
10-12-2006, 04:31 PM
I feel like a babe in a black abyss here, but keep typing, I'm listening and learnin'

BRONZE
10-13-2006, 01:19 PM
Good topic guys

It all started for me when The Day After aired. Just my mom and myself. All I thought was I want to have it better then they had it on the show.

Now I have two kids and my thought now is I HAVE to make it better for them if things go to S***.

olsarg
10-20-2006, 06:03 AM
Started in the early 40s with something called the victory garden and rationing. Then living in a shantie with no elecricity or plumbing. Walked to school no buses. Went overseas visited a few countries. decided that I liked food and shelter certain cunforts been doing this a long time. Guess what we call survival today used to be called living in rural America.

Ducttape
10-22-2006, 05:55 AM
For me it started out when I was in Cub Scouts and it just skyrocketed from there. It's been a lifestyle since then , not a hobby.

jdlong
10-23-2006, 03:44 AM
My folks got started in the mindset many years ago, so I grew up with it. I have been concentrating my efforts more towards protection the last few years, but intend to cover more bases in the future. Mom loaned the "Patriots-Surviving the comong Collapse" book to me, and it really hit home as to how unprepared I really am. My wife is a non-believer, so I do it with the help of my 17-yr and 8-yr olds. It's fun to feed off of their enthusiam.

sparkky
10-24-2006, 07:49 AM
wife and I both raised on farms so storing food was just something you did.
Keeping up with current events and threats made us branch out to other areas.
I'm lucky to have a DW that is like minded. Makes those visits from the BBT easier!! LOL