# Prepping common sense



## Tweto (Nov 26, 2011)

I know this is old information for most of us, but I think this article has a ton of common sense.

I think that items 1,6,7 and 8 are where most fail.

10 Prepping Mistakes That Could Get You Killed (And How To Avoid Them)
SG
October 6th, 2013
Survival Pulse
Comments (185)
Read by 14,523 people
This informative article has been contributed by Survival Pulse.

prep-checklist

Everyone that is into prepping is doing it for a good reason, to increase their chances of survival. However, there are a number of simple mistakes that can actually make you LESS likely to survive than if you didn't prepare at all.

In no particular order, here they are, 10 prepping mistakes that could get you killed:

1. Having a false sense of security.

Just because you can put some holes in a target downrange doesn't make you safe when shtf. Having a false sense of security could make you ignore danger that you would have otherwise responded to.

How to Avoid it: Do not underestimate your enemy! No matter how good you are, there are more dangerous and better trained people out there prepared to take what they want without asking.

2. Failing to get immediate family on board.

You are not a lone ranger. You are not good enough to protect your group alone. What if you get hurt, sick, or worse? Will your crew be able to pick up the slack. If your spouse looks at you like you are nuts when you talk about prepping, this one is for you.

How to Avoid It: Make sure your family has the basic skills and not just you. It's better to have 2-3 knowledgeable people than one super prepper.

3. Ignoring the "boring" prepping areas.

We all know about the fun areas of prepping. Guns and ammo, bug out bags, food stockpiles, etc. However, without things like a steady supply of water or first aid skills, you could be out of the game within hours when shtf.

How to Avoid it: Make a point to spend time on all the critical prepping areas, even if they aren't fun.

4. Never actually using you preps.

Probably the most common one on the list. Buying a bunch of crap and never even using it. I've seen it with everything from food, survival kits, and even guns. If you cannot act quickly and are not skilled with your gear, you might as well give it away or sell it when the time comes.

How to Avoid it: Be a prepper, not a hoarder. Use the gear that you buy until you are comfortable with it.

5. Falling in love with your plan.

If you have a plan, you are at least a few steps ahead of the game already. However, it's extremely unlikely that your plan is perfect for every disaster. Being unwilling to deviate from your plan could easily get you killed.

How to Avoid It: Have a plan and practice it, but always have a backup plan. When practicing your plan, throw in a curve ball or two that make you improvise and think about what you would do if part of your plan failed.

6. Telling acquaintances about your preps.

The people that pose the greatest danger to you are your acquaintances. While they seem like decent friends now, that will all quickly change. Believe me, when people start to get hungry, thirsty, and angry, your "friendship" will be the last thing on their mind.

How to Avoid It: Only tell people you trust completely about your preps. If it is not someone that you would trust with your life, they are a potential threat when shtf.

7. Buying large amounts of preps at once.

It should be obvious by now the government is spying on everything you do. Buying a ton of preps from anywhere all at once is not a great idea, but especially when using a credit card or dealing with companies that are in the governments pocket.

How to Avoid It: Pay with Cash when possible and only do business with companies that respect your privacy. Explore alternate payment methods online with prepper friendly companies.

8. Ignoring OPSEC.

Preppers that wear military style clothing or fortify their homes in a way that is visible from the exterior can be doing more harm than good. Things like generators and barbed wire in areas where it is typically uncommon will make others think that you have something worth hiding.

How to Avoid It: Check out some of these articles about OPSEC . Be discreet when fortifying you residence. Make your place look as boring as possible from the outside yet very difficult to gain entry. Keep your visible preps to a minimum or move to an area where it doesn't raise eyebrows.

9. Completely depending on your preps.

So you got a new AR, 1000 rounds of ammo, and 6 months worth of food and water. That's great, but what happens if a natural disaster or a fire takes out your supply. Do you have an alternate plan to stay alive?

How to Avoid It: Keep it real. If the shtf, all the preps in the world are only going to give you an edge. Try have some preps spread across different locations or caches just in case something goes wrong.

10. Trying to do it all.

You will never be completely prepared for every scenario. Trying to do this will only result in burnout and may even make you think about giving up.

How to Avoid It: Focus on what you already know until you become proficient at it. Prep for the most likely shtf scenarios first.

Originally posted at SHTFplan.com.


----------



## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

Tweto said:


> *I think that items 1,6,7 and 8 are where most fail.*


I think you are right.

Sadly - - a lot of folks "prep" but are also very easy pickings come "go" time. I now a guy with a VERY nice BCM AR-15 that would be taken out after his first magazine is empty, and that makes me sad.


----------



## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

11. Forgetting that training & knowledge is also a "prep".

And I am not talking about practicing what you already know, which IS important. I'm talking about obtaining new skills, techniques and knowledge and then putting them to use.


----------



## Wellrounded (Sep 25, 2011)

I'm putting number 4 at the top. No point having anything if you don't know how to use it. 
Followed by Sentries no. 11.
Learn, do and keep doing until you've mastered it.


----------



## tsrwivey (Dec 31, 2010)

6 & 8 I see all the time. Loose lips sink ships. Lots of people flapping their gums about being a prepper, telling others about prepping, etc. to neighbors & coworkers. Come SHTF, they'll be wishing they'd had been more discreet.


----------



## BillS (May 30, 2011)

#1 You need to understand what your abilities are. Me, I have no illusions about my great combat abilities. There's a reason I own shotguns. Put it that way.

#6 You owe it to your friends and family to let them know you're prepping and why. Hopefully you'll wake up some of them but don't count on it.

#7 I bought a lot of stuff as soon as I woke up. I was more concerned about being prepared than worrying about who might see the credit card charges.

#8 is important. I always wear regular clothing. Our house doesn't look any different from the outside than any other house in our neighborhood. I plan on covering the windows from the inside after it hits the fan.

#9 I have all my eggs in one basket. I don't think it makes much sense to go bury stuff. I risk having it stolen or ruined. Neither one appeals to me. If all our stuff is destroyed we'll die. That's pretty easy to figure out.


----------



## camo2460 (Feb 10, 2013)

And please guys don't forget the primitive skills, granted a bow and arrow, rabbit stick or AtlAtl and dart are no match for a good AR, but like Sentry said knowledge is power and the more knowledge you have to fall back on can not be over rated. Learn to make shelters, fire and find water and food with what you can find around you and not with what you have with you. Learn to foxwalk and deer step while in the wilderness and use natural camouflage and natural methods to cover your scent. If you can progress to where you can stalk a deer close enough to touch it your as good as any Apache scout and would fear no man in the wilderness.


----------



## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

BillS said:


> Me, I have no illusions about my great combat abilities. There's a reason I own shotguns. Put it that way.


Bill, the shotgun (i.e., type of weapon) has no inherent magical abilities that will overcome and improve on your lack of CQ combat skills. It is no more effective, nor easier to use, than a pistol or a rifle. Each has a particular skill set that must be learned to use properly.

I don't want you to be misled into thinking that you may suck as a pistolman or rifleman, but now that "you have a shotgun" that you are the next Patrick Flanigan or something. I'm just trying to say that if you are lacking in shooting skills, the shotgun doesn't posses any voodoo by design that will make you a better shooter.


----------



## doomsdaynews (Sep 25, 2013)

3 and 4 are more likely to be the places where people fail than some of the others. Sure, there are certain aspects of prepping that can be boring. On the same token, there are aspects of prepping that can be overly difficult and require a lot of time and resources, another reason to overlook them. It's incredibly important to divide your time adequately between different tasks and skillsets. Some preps will be futile if you don't have the skills to make them effective when SHTF.

4 is much related to 3 and comprises both material preps (guns, ammo, food, water, medical supplies) and skillset preps. There's no use stockpiling ammo if you don't practice target shooting often. No reason to store food if you don't practice cooking and rotating your stores. Many things have a certain shelf life and may be no good when disaster strikes. Still, no use storing or prepping at all if you don't have an action plan when SHTF.


----------



## RevWC (Mar 28, 2011)

This is nice to review again!

Thinking outside the box and we might survive, as the world does not seem to be in a happy, happy, place.


----------

