# Prepared for what?



## RJumpIII (Jan 29, 2011)

I am new here in these parts. I have thought about this: Our society has let their guard down after all these years of thinking we are untouchable here. I think we have to protect against attacks of terror and against famine. Famine is a very real possibility. The right attack could interupt food supply and we could be looking at a real live famine. Tell me I am crazy


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## BasecampUSA (Dec 26, 2010)

Welcome to the club, you are in the right place!

We are all crazy, in that case!

Just read a lot here, you'll get the idea fast!

- Basey


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## ajsmith (Feb 1, 2010)

There are so many possibilities as to what could go wrong, man made is a very real threat and so are natural disasters. I'm just doing my best to prepare for as much as I can. Our infrastructure is so fragile it wouldn't take much to knock out large areas of power and supply lines. I to worry about having enough food to feed my family, all we can do is our best!


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## carolexan (Dec 28, 2010)

Hello and welcome from TX. You are only crazy if you don't prepare.:2thumb:


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

We don't need an attack or anything , the declining quality of manufactured goods will cause break down to out strip supply


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## sailaway (Mar 12, 2009)

Tirediron said:


> We don't need an attack or anything , the declining quality of manufactured goods will cause break down to out strip supply


How true Tirediron, most of what is made today is junk. I would rather pay more for something that will last longer. Look how cheap the simple can or bottle opener has gotten with its little plastic bearing, it bends when you squeeze it.:gaah::surrender:


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## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

*THREADJACK!!!!*



sailaway said:


> How true Tirediron, most of what is made today is junk. I would rather pay more for something that will last longer. *Look how cheap the simple can or bottle opener has gotten* with its little plastic bearing, it bends when you squeeze it.:gaah::surrender:


Yeah, and what about legs. Just don't make 'em the way they used to. One little fall on ice and they break. :ignore:


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## nkjones1 (Jan 12, 2011)

*Un-threadjack!?*

Wanted to try and give the new guy, not that I'm not a new guy here, a run down of known possible reasons to prepare:

1. Trade relation breakdown- The U.S. isn't the industrial superpower it once was; sent all our jobs overseas.

2. Dollar devaluation- They are printing more money all the time (Quantitative Easing) making existing money worth less. Are you prepared to pay $600 for a loaf of bread? Weimar, Germany post-WWII is a good example.

3. Martial Law- There are many reasons governments instate martial law basically though they take all your freedoms, guns, they ration food, might take you to forced labor camps, hijack all communications, etc. I would suggest looking into the Executive Orders the last 4 presidents have signed into law.

4. Infrastructure Breakdown- Our roads and power grids are failing. Imagine not having electricity for an extended period of time or there not being ANY food at the grocery stores.

5. Any kind of attack- Take a look at the movie Red Dawn, an oldie but a goodie. A nuclear one is looking more and more likely over an invasion, still a possibility. A nuclear attack/war is of course unthinkable but lots of crazy countries have 'em.

I'm outta ideas at the moment. Feel free to add to this.


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## BadgeBunny (Nov 2, 2010)

UncleJoe said:


> *THREADJACK!!!!*
> 
> Yeah, and what about legs. Just don't make 'em the way they used to. One little fall on ice and they break. :ignore:


:lolsmash::lolsmash::lolsmash: I dunno if it is the pain meds or what but that is one of your better observations! LOL Nicely played, sir!! :congrat:

OK, back to the topic at hand. I am one of those people that subscribe to the theory that you can only do what you can do.
I grow weary of the "doom is right around the corner" threads but I still read them. Very rarely will I post in them ... Usually when someone is suggesting a course of action that I believe will harm them in the long run (like charge up all their credit cards for preps and gold, and then file bankruptcy).

I also grow weary of the threads that suggest I fortify my home like Fort Knox and that I am an idiot for not doing so but I still read them. (I live in a suburban area ... the sandbags stacked around the outside exterior walls is gonna draw some attention. If I stack them inside the house (OPSEC, ya know) well then I am gonna be sleeping in a tent in the front yard because my house is not 3000 square feet.) However, that might be a viable option for someone else so who am I to say ...

I LOVE the threads where people share their experiences at learning a new skill, or discussing what skills they would like to learn, or sharing what they know about a skill I don't have but wish I did ...

Point is I read a lot. These boards (much like the gun community boards) can burn you out in a heartbeat if you let them. You gotta learn to read everything, verify what piques you interest, take what you can use and move on. Be respectful ... you don't know what kind of life experiences the poster on the other side has had ... It is amazing what you can learn from "crazy" people ... Like Joe! LOL :2thumb::ignore:

(Just funnin' ya, Joe!! LOL)

So I tend to prep for things that are MOST LIKELY to happen. Food and supply shortages, water outages, power outages, tornados, wind storms, etc. I have started putting back more ammo and I practice more at the range (or did until my neck started acting up again). I garden ... I try to do things that the neighbors won't notice but will help me out in the long run if things wind up like Egypt. For me it is all about laying low ... for someone else maybe not so much. Again ... who am I to say?

Bottom line, consider everything but don't feel bad about taking what you need and leaving the rest behind ... and don't let anybody make you feel inadequate for doing so. There is no one fix that fits everybody.


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## vn6869 (May 5, 2010)

nkjones1 said:


> Wanted to try and give the new guy, not that I'm not a new guy here, a run down of known possible reasons to prepare:
> 
> 1. Trade relation breakdown- The U.S. isn't the industrial superpower it once was; sent all our jobs overseas.
> 
> ...


_nkjones_, good list, but I would be more general - for any type of disaster, man-made or natural. This includes everything from tornado, earthquake, war, etc.

As _carolexan_ said you're crazy if you don't prepare. You do have insurance don't you. Your betting something will happen, the insurance bets it won't, but you're covered if something does happen.


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## Clarice (Aug 19, 2010)

RJumpIII, living in Fl. I'm sure you and family prepare for hurricanes. Just stay prepared and aware of the news and financial situation so you are not as surprized as the sheeple that are aimlessly wandering around without a clue.


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## Eli-2 (Aug 17, 2010)

Preppers should be:Crazy like a fox!:sssh:

Food will only continue to get higher! It's kinda long,sorry,but it's what's happening,TODAY!
WHEAT
Cara Anna, Associated Press, On Wednesday February 9, 2011, 11:40 am EST 
BEIJING (AP) -- Chinese officials said Wednesday they were preparing for a severe, long-lasting drought in several parched provinces, causing wheat prices to spike on the prospect of the world's largest consumer putting pressure on a global supply that's already squeezed..the focus is on whether China will buy more from the global market, where prices have already risen about 35 percent since mid-November.....
The U.N.'s food agency has warned that the months long drought is driving up the country's wheat prices,....where prices have already risen about 35 percent since mid-November........Grain crops in other major producer nations such as the United States and Australia have been reduced by bad weather and natural disasters. Meanwhile, wheat prices shot up in the last few months after Russia imposed a wheat export ban and Ukraine, another major grain exporter, imposed quotas on exports because of drought.

CORN:gaah::gaah::gaah:
......Higher food prices ahead after corn reserves sink
Higher food prices ahead after corn reserves become latest commodity to hit historical low......
The Associated Press, On Wednesday February 9, 2011, 2:38 pm EST 
Americans should brace for higher food prices this year now that demand for corn has pushed U.S. supplies to their lowest point in 15 years.......
That means the United States will have about 675 million bushels of corn left over at the end of year. That's roughly 5 percent of all corn that will be consumed, the lowest surplus level since 1996.......
The decline in reserves caused corn futures to surge, with prices rising 2.4 percent to $6.9025 during morning trading. Corn prices have already doubled in the last six months, rising from $3.50 a bushel to nearly $7 a bushel. Analysts expect the price increases to continue in coming months.
"I think we have a chance to test the all-time high" price of $7.65 a bushel, 
Major food makers and some restaurants have already said they'll be raising prices this year because they're paying more for corn, wheat, sugar, coffee and chocolate, all of which are at historically high prices. Weather, such as flooding in Australia and droughts elsewhere, has affected many crops this year.
A severe drought in China, the world's largest wheat grower, could force prices even higher. .
Some food makers already began selectively raising prices within the past few quarters.
Those higher prices have begun filtering into stores. Supermarkets have resisted price increases for some time, hoping to hold onto their cost-conscious customers in the tough economy. But chains such as Kroger now also say higher prices are coming.
Cereal maker Kellogg Co. said last week it plans to raise prices by 3 to 4 percentage points. Sara Lee Corp. said Tuesday that it will continue its price increases as it copes with higher commodity costs. The company said the price it pays for coffee beans alone is up 60 percent compared with last year.
And J.M. Smucker Co. said Tuesday that it would raise prices again on Folgers and Dunkin Donuts coffee for the third time this year, by 10 percent on average. A large can of Folgers is already going for around $12 at many markets.
It's not just playing out in the grocery store. McDonald's Corp. said last month that it may raise prices this year as its own food tab rises. The company already raised prices in some markets, including the United Kingdom.
Rising grain costs hit meat producers first. Tyson Foods, the nation's biggest meat company, says it is aiming to cut $200 million in operational costs to offset higher corn and soybean costs.


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

ajsmith said:


> There are so many possibilities as to what could go wrong, man made is a very real threat and so are natural disasters. I'm just doing my best to prepare for as much as I can. Our infrastructure is so fragile it wouldn't take much to knock out large areas of power and supply lines. I to worry about having enough food to feed my family, all we can do is our best!


I just spent an hour talking to a church member(SHE CALLED ME!!)...yep--she has her head up her butt...everything I said was oh, that won't happen, oh, what are you gonna do with all that food?? oh, I don't think you and I will see the country collapse....blah, blah, blah.. I even used the "well, I'd rather pay $1.50 for a ham than 2.75 and I'd rather pay 45 cents for vegetables than 80 cents!!!!
I GIVE UP---I AM NEVER BRINGING UP THE SUBJECT AGAIN---E-V-E-R!!!:gaah:


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

1. Trade relation breakdown- The U.S. isn't the industrial superpower it once was; sent all our jobs overseas.

2. Dollar devaluation- They are printing more money all the time (Quantitative Easing) making existing money worth less. Are you prepared to pay $600 for a loaf of bread? Weimar, Germany post-WWII is a good example.

3. Martial Law- There are many reasons governments instate martial law basically though they take all your freedoms, guns, they ration food, might take you to forced labor camps, hijack all communications, etc. I would suggest looking into the Executive Orders the last 4 presidents have signed into law.

4. Infrastructure Breakdown- Our roads and power grids are failing. Imagine not having electricity for an extended period of time or there not being ANY food at the grocery stores.

5. Any kind of attack- Take a look at the movie Red Dawn, an oldie but a goodie. A nuclear one is looking more and more likely over an invasion, still a possibility. A nuclear attack/war is of course unthinkable but lots of crazy countries have 'em.

I'm outta ideas at the moment. Feel free to add to this.

I think I will---
6)my BIL is 76 and still trucking...he says it won't take $5 gasoline to shut down the companies and independents...it'll come waaaay before $5. Think of everything you use from the time you get up till bed time and start making lists.


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

You guys never talk about other things like...uh, cotton???...I bought 5 pair of jeans for GH and will buy 5 more when on sale again...jeans are made of cotton...we ladies know how you go through a pair.

And gentlemen...the sales..children's clothes and shoes?? socks, undies...I have extra for me and GH...get extra for next year for your children..just guess the sizes...if all goes well, you saved a bunch of money!!


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## azurevirus (Jan 20, 2009)

Try if you can to prep for everything if you can...if your luck is as bad as mine..the one or two things you prep for will be the ones that dont happen..
store up on the three B'S....beans bullits and bandaids..those will probably help ya through most of the many bad things that happen


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

azurevirus said:


> Try if you can to prep for everything if you can...if your luck is as bad as mine..the one or two things you prep for will be the ones that dont happen..
> store up on the three B'S....beans bullits and bandaids..those will probably help ya through most of the many bad things that happen


I prefer the 4 B's...beans, bandaids, bullets, and when those all fail....Bible.:dunno:


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## azurevirus (Jan 20, 2009)

4 B's t is then


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

azurevirus said:


> 4 B's t is then


Ye and thee are welcome.


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## RJumpIII (Jan 29, 2011)

*Prepare for...*

Yep, I have been ready for hurricanes before. Folks usually plan to stay and face the unknown. That is you never really know where a hurricane is going to land until it is just about on top of you. When that happens, the roads are closed and you just have to dig in.


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## RJumpIII (Jan 29, 2011)

*Famine we do not want here.*

I think some very serious issues may arise with higher gas prices, maybe shortages due to a unfriendly world. I think famine is just around the corner, God forbid the thought of that in America the beautiful. We have idiots in charge. I am going to pray these things don't happen to us.


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## Ponce (May 3, 2009)

Get ready today for the way that you want to live tomorrow .........or........buy today what you want to eat tomorrow.

"To be ready is not"... Ponce

I am from Cuba where WTSHTF has lasted for over fifty years and a place where even with dollars you cannot find what you need for your daily life unless you have contacts.


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## ajsmith (Feb 1, 2010)

JayJay said:


> I just spent an hour talking to a church member(SHE CALLED ME!!)...yep--she has her head up her butt...everything I said was oh, that won't happen, oh, what are you gonna do with all that food?? oh, I don't think you and I will see the country collapse....blah, blah, blah.. I even used the "well, I'd rather pay $1.50 for a ham than 2.75 and I'd rather pay 45 cents for vegetables than 80 cents!!!!
> I GIVE UP---I AM NEVER BRINGING UP THE SUBJECT AGAIN---E-V-E-R!!!:gaah:


Once a month we are in charge of a community dinner with our church, it's open to anyone who wants to attend, and every month there is more and more people. I see this trend and I'm not sure what to think. Is this the beginning of a long slow collapse, just a bump in the road or another sign that we're a freight train about to come off the tracks? My sister, who works at Wal-Mart in Oklahoma, sent me a picture from her cell phone of the milk and bread isles, completely empty shelves (2/6/11). Only thing I can say is stock up at least a little now and if nothing happens, so what. I've always said "better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it".


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