This is an open thread, just to plan, talk about prepping, to get and give advice.
Everyone is welcome!
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When you say that someone is a prepper, that TV show “Doomsday Preppers” comes into your mind. They have bunkers, gas masks, and freeze dried food. And guns, lots of guns. Yes, there are those that do that.
But regular folks are getting prepared too. Storms come and wipe out the power lines, floods and mudslides can destroy roads. Sh!t happens. Having a three day supply of food and water is the bare minimum to get through a power outage, or roads blocked situation. Ready.gov recommends a two week supply of food and water for people who live in coastal areas that are hurricane prone (though FEMA now says that it would take them three weeks to fully deploy, so maybe bump those supplies up a bit).
But acts of nature aren’t the only disasters that can happen. Most of the US lives paycheck to paycheck. Losing your job is a disaster on a personal level. Getting injured at work or at home can mean going weeks without pay. If you have some resources set back and if you don’t have to spend money on food and supplies, it can make the difference between making it until the next paycheck, or finding yourself in a downward spiral toward unmanageable personal debt, or eviction and other bad things. Personal disasters can happen to anyone, and they are no less disastrous simply because they are common. Imagine needing to take a few weeks off of work for a surgery, and having food on hand to make it through, and no need to hire a ride to the stores. Thinking that way, prepping becomes practical for nearly everyone.
Of course, some of us are also worried about other forces beyond our control. Government and economic influences can be worrying, and having a store of food and supplies can relieve some stress.
How to start? Prepping is a big business, but the people most likely to benefit from supplies to fall back on are the ones least able to afford it. If you have the money, go ahead and get your panic room full of freeze dried food and water bricks, along with guns and ammo to protect yourself if that is your thing. But if you are of more modest means, a good way to start is by just noticing. Pretend that just now your power went out, and word is that you are stranded where you are without power or water for a period of time. Spend your day making note of how that would impact you. How would you cook? What would you eat? Do you even have a non-electric can opener? Is your water safe? What if it wasn’t?
After noticing what you would need to get by, then start to acquire. Buy extra canned food each time you shop. Learn how to store water. Learn how to preserve produce at home. Get a hand can opener. Soon you will find that a three day power-outage would be more of an adventure than a disaster. When you get to that point, look ahead, and prepare for the next ‘adventure’.