# For the newbies out there.



## readytogo (Apr 6, 2013)

If you are just starting to prepped or looking for ideas, before you go out looking for info my recommendations are simple, look in this forum and ask away, yes YouTube is loaded with info but be careful, many of the postings on the tube talk about the end of the world and what type of gun, not even weapon, gun, how insulting, should I have for this happily awaited event, we all know that any weapon is better than none, one of my favorites on the tube is about zombies or living in the woods ,lighting fires in the woods ,seems everybody is preoccupied with fires and all we have to do is look at California , they have no woods left from so many fires, and no video so far has shown an expert lighting a fire in the company of a fire extinguisher, for just in case. The city dwellers show you their best Rambonian knifes or delta force machetes, for crying out loud the nearest tree is in the city park and wild game is the poor old tiger at the zoo, they open cans with bricks or sidewalks, $3000.00 dollars rifle scopes, I can`t explain that one, nor camo face war paint on with the latest Russian surplus military gear, hello is not war guys is Survival ,is about been prepared ,is about having supplies on hand for whatever event you think is more prone to happen in your neck of the woods and always have some extra and always expect the un-expected and learn and read and try not to follow the advice of many experts on survival that claim they can survived with a pocket knife and a can of jelly in the woods, so far I have never seem one mention how they are going to clean their behinds at poop time. So my expert recommendation to the new ones out there is to use common sense to ask the elders to buy a simple but trusty Zippo Lighter.:ignore:


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## TheLazyL (Jun 5, 2012)

Don't start out thinking about a buried nuke proof reinforced bunker with power, food and a star wars defense system that will last for generations.

Start thinking, "What will I need if I'm stranded at work?" Acquire those items first, put them in a bag/knapsack then you can have handy. 

Then, "What will I need at home for for a typical natural disaster (hurricane, snow, tornado, earthquake, etc.) to carry me for a few days?"

Once you have reached those goals then expand it to a week's worth of supplies. When you have well rounded preps that will sustain you for a week. You will be better off then a large majority of the population.

As you finances permit or your needs increase expand that week into 2 weeks or a month or a...


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## doubleTHICK (Jun 19, 2012)

Unfortunately most newbies will fizzle out or lose interest within a few months. It's admirable that the time is taken to help newer individuals with the 'prep' process and to have them avoid the typical issues that come with faux prepping . . .

*cynical alert* 
. . . but if the newbies need to be warned about not falling for movie type scenarios and how big their gun is then it is all but lost. This doesn't have to be true but it is true. 
The question I ponder is how to prevent faux prepping or how to maintain the interest when the novelty of prepping wears off. I don't have the answer myself; I just want MORE people to become prepared.

Just realized I may have took a dump on your thread and feel like a D-bag but I genuinely feel this is a core issue with beginner preppers. It has a plethora of negative affects on those of us that do include prepping into our life.

And now to save a tiny bit of face:
When starting your prepping career take it slow and minimal. Imagine you are going on a 3 day vacation to a little B&B and you need to plan to bring items as if the owner does not supply them. Items such as: toothpaste/brush, shampoo/soap, medicine, a dollar or two in change just in case cell stops working, ... what ever you would normally take on a little trip.
To make this even easier start by finding a bag/pack/suitcase and place it next to your bed. The next day grab a pair of underwear/shirt/pair of socks and place them in the bag. The next day throw some travel size body care products in the bag. And continue with this process and within a week and a half you've created yourself a 3-day bag. Congratulations!!!
Take this as a huge victory, YES it is, because most (if not ALL) of your friends have nothing remotely close to your 3-day bag.


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## vidarr (Jun 25, 2013)

I completely agree. 
I'm new to prepping myself. Money is an issue, so over the past 6 months I've been working at it slowly. 

I've spent the majority of my time prepping my mind since money is an issue. 

I don't think there's a YouTube video I havnt watched! Gear reviews, prepping tips, survival(urban and rural) etc. 
I believe that the planning/learning skills, rather than jumping on the "new best knife" bandwagon is far more important. If only that mentality was applied in daily life by everyone! 




Sent from my iPhone using Survival Forum


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

My suggestion to beginners is to set small goals and to celebrate each goal. If your goal is to get seven years worth of provisions you will become disillusioned. If your goals start at two weeks, then a month, then three months, then six etc you will see steady growth. Every time I come back from a shopping trip I stock my shelves then pull up a chair, sit down. and enjoy the increase to my stores. Sometimes it is a slight increase and sometimes it is greater. 

Don't judge yourself against how others are doing. Judge yourself against how you were doing last month or last year.


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## Ezmerelda (Oct 17, 2010)

Caribou said:


> Every time I come back from a shopping trip I stock my shelves then pull up a chair, sit down. and enjoy the increase to my stores. Sometimes it is a slight increase and sometimes it is greater.


Each and every new addition is an opportunity to feel gratitude,

A pair of tweezers says, "I can pull a splinter with ease, grab a thread to pull it the rest of the way through the needle, grab something that fell into a little tiny hole, etc."

Each new can of beef stew says, "With a little rice, or a pie shell, that will make one more meal for my family to eat."

Each spool of thread says, "We can repair our clothes and use them longer."

Each tube of shoe goo says, "We can repair our shoes and use them longer."

Every journey begins with a single step.


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## Jim1590 (Jul 11, 2012)

On the other hand, after say... a week or two... lots of nice rifles just laying around in the city cause they thought they would hunt wild game! Never bothered to set aside a can of stew!


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## doubleTHICK (Jun 19, 2012)

vidarr said:


> I completely agree.
> I'm new to prepping myself. Money is an issue, so over the past 6 months I've been working at it slowly.
> 
> I've spent the majority of my time prepping my mind since money is an issue.
> ...


Believe it or not you are fairly along in the game if you are thinking this way; prepping the mind is huge. I personally know people who believe they are preppers but are in no way mentally in the game. Buying a 50lb bag of rice doesn't make you a prepper. Understanding that one day when the money is there to buy a 50lb bag of rice and asking yourself "is this something I need in MY specific preps" "is this something I am buying because it fits my plans or am I buying because that what internet preppers buy" - this make you a prepper!

Don't forget about Craigslist 'FREE' section. DO NOT be above hitting up garage/yard sales in nicer neighborhoods in the latter part of the day; it is not uncommon that most will let you take their 'junk' for free and have heard of cases where they will even pay you a few dollars to get rid of their leftovers. The wife and I are in a nice position financially (no kids, no bills, no CC debt, keeping up with maintenance on home and vehicles, wife salary more than double the average here in the US) and I still check Craigslist for the barter/free sections daily.

Prepping is also about learning new stuff. I taught myself to crochet, I am pretty good at it too. Some may think that crocheting has nothing to do with prepping - it does! Also have been teaching myself Spanish. Go to the library and pick out books for kids or find a movie you know in English and watch in Spanish. I can go word-for-word when talking about Ghostbusters. I'll watch it over and over and over in Spanish . . . holy crap I am surprised at how much I am picking up. Been doing something with my physical body as well. Being in BETTER shape is a prep you can work on everyday.

All of these cost zero dollars. So don't think that being low on funds is a reasonable excuse for not prepping. Look at it like this; anything you do on a daily basis that is different from your usual routine should be considered prepping. Once you made that choice in your mind to become a prepper everything you do from here on out is about prepping, regardless of how small you think it is, it is prepping.


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## justme (Jul 29, 2013)

I'm kind of new to prepping and thanks for all the good ideas that I didn't think about. You have help me be unstuck in info overload.


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## midwestmom (Jun 24, 2014)

Don't really think that I'm a "prepper", or at least not to the level some of ya'll have achieved, but I grew up with my gram, and she was born in 1905. I don't think we ever have less than 3 weeks food, drinks, meds , etc for us and the pets, and I keep up with things for the kiddos to do if we lose power or something. I'm sure I've forgotten more of what she taught me than what I remember. Trying to find places to brush up on some of those skills to pass on to my munchkins.


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## medicme (Oct 13, 2013)

Good advice from you all, especially about the baby steps.

It can get overwhelming if I let myself start thinking about ALL the preparations that one may need to accomplish before a disaster strikes, especially while trying to make a living, take care of the kids by myself and go to school. I just keep trying to do a little at a time and also buy the books that will help me should it come to that before I am able to put it all into practice and learn those skills. 

Having this forum available keeps me informed and thinking about what is possible for me to do...and what isn't - so I may need to research those areas.


_____________________________
“I declare to you that woman must not depend upon the protection of man, but must be taught to protect herself, and there I take my stand.” 
― Susan B. Anthony


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## Geek999 (Jul 9, 2013)

medicme said:


> Good advice from you all, especially about the baby steps.
> 
> It can get overwhelming if I let myself start thinking about ALL the preparations that one may need to accomplish before a disaster strikes, especially while trying to make a living, take care of the kids by myself and go to school. I just keep trying to do a little at a time and also buy the books that will help me should it come to that before I am able to put it all into practice and learn those skills.
> 
> ...


If you find yourself thinking about something way beyond where you're at, e.g. I'm working on a 3 day bag and "OMG I need a Geiger counter in case of nuclear war!", then just write the thought down and start making some lists. Making a list doesn't cost you a dime. At the end you'll have your 3 day bag and the beginning of a bunch of lists. When you are ready to start the next level you'll have a head start on the planning.


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## invision (Aug 14, 2012)

Geek999 said:


> If you find yourself thinking about something way beyond where you're at, e.g. I'm working on a 3 day bag and "OMG I need a Geiger counter in case of nuclear war!", then just write the thought down and start making some lists. Making a list doesn't cost you a dime. At the end you'll have your 3 day bag and the beginning of a bunch of lists. When you are ready to start the next level you'll have a head start on the planning.


Lists are how I started out simple excel spreadsheet.

Created workbooks for each subject
Food prep / food storage / food gather equipment / water purification / water storage / etc...

Once I had an item checked off, the same spreadsheet turned into an inventory list...

Eventually preparedness becomes more of a way of life. Some go really deep - self-sufficient living, living off grid... While others work at practicing what they can, make sure their preps are rotated into daily life, and are more "aware" of their surrounding.

This space for rent.


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## 21601mom (Jan 15, 2013)

invision said:


> Lists are how I started out simple excel spreadsheet.
> 
> Created workbooks for each subject
> Food prep / food storage / food gather equipment / water purification / water storage / etc....


Any plans to publish those lists?? Would love the opportunity to review.


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## invision (Aug 14, 2012)

I left the shop last night after 8 (new venture) and left my laptop there - I am on my iPad for the weekend... I will post it on Monday when I go in... But to help you now - think of the main areas you are concerned with - each and every person is different and has different needs.

First workbook in the excel spreadsheet rename it to food. Second tab water. 3rd tab etc, create as many tabs as you need.

Then across the top of the 1st row - I put the following
Item | Number | Notes

Then I would just list things I wanted and as I bought them filled in the number and any notes I wanted to put...

Example for food tab
Item. | Number. | notes
Canned beef case. 10. Purchased X/X/X self life 25 yrs
Canned chicken case. 10. Purchased X/X/X self life 25 yrs
25lb bag white rice. 10. Purchased X/X/X. 

Example for firearms tab
Firearm/ammo. | Number. | Serial number. |last fired. | last cleaning
Ruger LC9. 2. Xxxxxxx | xxxxxxx. X/X/X. X/X/X
Federal. HP 9mm 50 rd box 100. 
Ruger 10/22. 1. Xxxxxxx. . X/X/X. X/X/X

Example for Food Prep
Item. | Number. | notes
American Canner 60 qt. 1. 
Ball canning jars qt box 6. 20. Need more




This space for rent.


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## Geek999 (Jul 9, 2013)

21601mom said:


> Any plans to publish those lists?? Would love the opportunity to review.


If you want some examples Jerry D Young has created the most comprehansve Iists I have seen. Jerry's are quite detailed, where mine are more outine format and even wth the categorzation I don't get to the depth he does. I would encourage making your own however.

Needs are different based on family or group size and mix, where you are located, what you are prepping for, etc. In addition, the llst creation process is part of your planning process. Think of it as a way to be prepping without spending money.


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## 21601mom (Jan 15, 2013)

Thank you both for the feedback! I had lists when we were based in MD, but am revising since we've moved to TX full time. Having another person's perspective has helped me view our needs differently and identify gaps in my own planning. My recent focus has been on water, but even food storage plans will need to change as I can no longer store things in the garage due to heat. Thanks again!


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## invision (Aug 14, 2012)

21601mom said:


> Thank you both for the feedback! I had lists when we were based in MD, but am revising since we've moved to TX full time. Having another person's perspective has helped me view our needs differently and identify gaps in my own planning. My recent focus has been on water, but even food storage plans will need to change as I can no longer store things in the garage due to heat. Thanks again!


I decided to grab my daughter's laptop and remoted into my laptop - I cleaned out some pages - but here is a working model for you to use - I can't upload an excel file here - so I though it up on my website - just click the Click Here link and you can download it...

http://www.michaelkayebooks.com/prepper.html

Also - Jerry list is very very comprehensive....


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## Geek999 (Jul 9, 2013)

21601mom said:


> Thank you both for the feedback! I had lists when we were based in MD, but am revising since we've moved to TX full time. Having another person's perspective has helped me view our needs differently and identify gaps in my own planning. My recent focus has been on water, but even food storage plans will need to change as I can no longer store things in the garage due to heat. Thanks again!


That's a great example of why you need your own list. Your needs have changes and you are thinking it through.


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## Viking (Mar 16, 2009)

readytogo said:


> so far I have never seem one mention how they are going to clean their behinds at poop time. So my expert recommendation to the new ones out there is to use common sense to ask the elders to buy a simple but trusty Zippo Lighter.:ignore:


Ah yes, common, actually uncommon, sense. Wisdom as it was called in times past, is a rare commodity in this electronic age. To sit down and think of what things may be needed when you don't have electricity or running water is a good start, especially in looking at the results of hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and fires. Actually someone has mentioned how to clean their behinds with something besides TP, I could add maple leaves, smooth sticks or even the right shaped rocks, hey when your out hiking or hunting as many years as I have you learn these things. Just don't be like Tim "The Toolman" Taylor and try using pine cones. Yep, small steps, any move toward self sufficiency is more than sitting around waiting for Uncle Sam to take care of you and your family when bad things happen, food and water preps is a good starting point. I will suggest at this point that from personal experience be cautious what types of food you intend to store, we have gotten away from wet canned foods, aside from those canned in glass containers. We have lost a lot of food, even when rotated, with foods canned in metal cans.


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## machinist (Jul 4, 2012)

Our daughter wrote her ideas about preparedness after having a house fire last week.

LINK to photos: http://www.preparedsociety.com/forum/f26/whats-everybody-doing-today-25036/index3.html#post348693

Here are her thoughts on the subject.

We've figured out that a fire is a life-altering event. We
see that the stress has impacted all areas of 
our lives. We're talking it through and taking good care of
ourselves but daily living is a real chore 
even at this point. We don't understand folks who mourn
lost THINGS after a disaster. We decided 
long ago what matters to us, and what happiness means to us.
We have everything that matters, 
and even if our house had burned to the ground we would
still feel that way so long as we have our 
critters and each other. I finally saw our "shed toad"
yesterday. I had been so worried about the 
critters that lived under our toasted shed! (Toads can live
36 years, are remarkably hip and eat tons 
of bugs, we water them and provide habitat to encourage them
in our outside living areas. Toad 
hassling is strictly forbidden, we enforce rules for our
cats and dogs with a spray bottle, or the hose 
as needed. We pet and handle them too

Happiness to us is something to look forward to - and
someone to share it with! We've still got 
everything we care about and we are happy! Our stress load
is dropping, we could SMELL the stress 
on our critters and ourselves and it's getting better every
day. Routine and habit get us through the 
day. Getting small things like our trash cans and
toothbrushes a new home that we're accustomed to 
is HUGE in recovery from disaster.

The value and attitude choices we already have made directly
impact how we deal with emergencies 
and how we recover from them. We decided to respect the
stress but to view it as funny! We've 
chosen to feel pleased that we will have the opportunity to
deep-clean and re-paint the interior of our 
home - and get paid for it! We are thrilled to HAVE stuff
to clean up and happy that we'll end up 
better organized than we've ever been Mindset matters and
the only thing truly in our control is 
what we THINK.

We had both considered long ago how we felt about priorities
in crisis. Brian saw a show as a child 
that illustrated tough choices about survival. Would you
give up a limb to ENSURE your survival? We 
would. How about pets, would you let your home burn to save
them? We certainly would! At what 
point would you defend your life from attack? Have you
really thought about what it would take for 
you to feel justified doing violence or killing another
human being? Are you willing to do that? There 
is a defined point for me where I'll do whatever is
necessary and I've taken training to feel secure in 
my abilities to do that. Is getting away "enough" for you? 
It isn't for me. Attackers are just liable to 
come back and try again. Try to kill me and you'll have to
do it to save your life! What would you do 
if your power went out for several weeks as it did for many
folks after hurricane Ike passed through? 
Do you have a way to cook? A way to stay warm? Can you
have lights, safe drinking water, basic 
sanitation? A couple small solar panels and deep cycle
batteries can carry you through in far more 
comfort than you might think, some light and a small fan
sure beat none! An inexpensive propane 
heater and a couple 20lb propane tanks might keep you from
having to live in a shelter - if you could 
even get to one. A propane lantern lasts a loong time
turned down low. Light is comfort, not just 
convenience. Are you comfortable in complete darkness? Can
your important relationships survive 
the stress that comes with disaster? How might you cope
separately and together? What are your 
mental health needs during extreme stress?

Would you give up your wallet, your purse, your car to try
to avoid violence? I probably would not. 
Depend on the situation. It's fairly likely that violence
will only follow capitulation and I've had all the 
violence done to me that I ever mean to take. Do you have a
plan if a carjacking attempt should be 
made? I keep a very sharp hatchet in easy reach in my
vehicle. I can roll a window up and 
handicap a potential shooter such that they might shoot out
a window but I can get their hand AND 
the gun if I can't just drive off with it. Would you defend
your home? What situations would you be 
better off leaving and calling for help? (We have a serious
gate across our driveway so if anyone 
comes here with ill-intent I can lock them IN so they can't
get away before I'm done with them and 
the cops can get here!) Where is the line in your sand? If
you can define it you will fare far better in 
a crisis!!!

The main thing is to stay as calm as possible in crisis and
it's a lot easier to do if you've considered 
tough choices before you have to make them. I did not have
to make tough choices when I saw the 
fire. I was able instead to evaluate and initiate whatever
delays in damage were possible. I knew 
EXACTLY when I would choose to abandon those efforts and
evacuate myself and my pets, and how 
long it would take me to accomplish this. "Fight or Flight"
states are not conducive to clear, long-
range thinking. My personal willingness to defend the stuff
I've worked very hard for is tempered by 
a risk-assessment and order of operations that I had the
ability to work out because I didn't have to 
make the big choices.

There will be some changes in our lives. Our priorities are
short-term right now of course, and we'll 
address the things we've learned about safety as we recover
from the fire. We had been re-
evaluating how we spend our time and who we spend it with
for a number of years now. This led to 
our involvement with the Salem Homeschool Academy, the shop
classes and our "firing" some 
"friends" who did not live and believe in ways compatible
with what we believe. It will be interesting 
for us to see how our lives change over time as a result of
disaster.

Brian and I have never cared much for the society we live
in. Our values are so different from the 
commercialized, shallow, THING-centered world around us... 
We think our species are parasites on 
the face of our planet - and we ARE killing our host. The
consumer driven economy is so fragile we 
never felt it could be counted on. Our government, founded
as a republic, now a democracy where 
masses can vote themselves goodies and benefits without
considering who will pay for it and how it 
can even be paid for, has a life-span. We hope not to live
long enough to see it fall, but fall it will in 
time... The easy energy from fossil energy contributes to
the damage we inflict on our planet and 
there is a finite amount of it available. While we don't
care to live like folks did hundreds of years 
ago we have made many small choices to leave the smallest
footprint on our planet that we can, and 
bring the most good we can contribute to the society we live
in. We never were like the other kids, 
and we test very well on the autistic spectrum - everyone
thinks I'm kidding when I say that but it is 
true. We have always related poorly to social cues from
others and found our own company and our 
pets far less stressful than socializing. We do try and
have gotten better with socializing over many 
years now...

I'm tired of people who don't play nice. The electric
company has made it impossible for us to sell 
any electricity we could make back to them though we could
contribute some during peak usage 
hours and it would seem they would encourage this. The
insurance they require to buy our energy is 
not available and you can be sure they know this! It proved
far cheaper for us to provide our own 
power than to have grid-power installed, and the local
electric company really made Brian angry 
when they came through and set their electric tub right
where we plan to build our fence! He made 
them move it and hacked up hairballs for several years! We
may hook up to the grid someday. We 
are getting older and if the cost comes down to a reasonable
amount we might choose easier living. 
We might not too!

All this means we live a more sustainable life than many
folks. It's been a LOT of work, there are no 
easy answers. We used a propane fridge for years but it
required a battery to operate the propane 
valve so when it died we elected not to replace it. We
finally got a very small fridge that uses new 
technology that doesn't require a compressor (=BIG power
hog) but we can't use that with our home 
battery quarantined. We used gas lights in the winter, when
we needed heat anyhow, might as well 
get light too if we're burning gas for supplemental heat. 
We've always used a gas stove, I hate to 
cook on a sluggish electric stove after years of enjoying
immediate temperature control on gas 
stoves. We found a combination wood/gas cook stove and
restored it a couple years ago so we can 
cook on a wood fire and add heat to our home in winter.

Little things like paying for refrigeration in the winter
when it's plenty cold outside really irritate me. 
It's not the money, it's the principle of wasting energy
when there's a world of cold outside the door! 
We've had a summer kitchen since we moved here. Why pump
heat into an area we're paying to 
cool? I'm fine with running the air conditioning if we need
it but it burns me up to heat up the house 
and have to cool it off! We've had a nice outside setup
with a small solar panel on a battery, running 
an RV water pump from a plastic barrel filled with a hose. 
I usually string a heavy duty black garden 
hose out in the sunshine to have hot running water. It's so
hot outside now that we're fine with tepid 
water for hand and dish-washing. We have an old gas stove
we set up in a sheltered, ventilated area 
in summertime. We have coolers and utensils and a routine
for all that. This saved us tremendous 
stress and energy!

A word for the would-be backpack survivalists: I lived in
tents during warm weather for many years, 
covered thousands of acres of state forestry wilderness on
foot and later on horseback, kept a tent, 
weather radio, hammock, cooler, squat folding chair,
kerosene lamp and pet and canned people food 
along with fishing supplies in my trunk for years. I've
camped out a LOT with minimal supplies from 
my trunk, cooking over a fire and loved it, taking dogs,
cats and the cockatoo along for the fun. Do 
you have a way to filter water in your bug-out stuff? Got
toothbrushes, dental floss, peroxide and 
inter-dental brushes to prevent gum disease and abscesses? 
Clove oil to numb and sterilize dental 
problems you might develop anyway? Dental cleaning tools? 
Considered how you'll be able to poop 
without fiber, providing you can kill meat? Know what
plants grow in YOUR area that you can eat? 
Which plant leaves it's safe to wipe with if you CAN poop? 
Got any idea what plants you can use for 
fungal foot-rot when you can't get your feet dry or
antibiotics if you get sick? Know where to get 
saponins for soap when your supply runs out? How to process
plants for use? How to get fish with 
them? Takes unbelievable energy to live like that and in
crisis energy is far better spent building 
resources, not running from them!!!

We COULD take out on foot with what we have already in
backpacks and can carry and our pets 
would troop right along with us. Our cats walk prettily on
a leash but we walk them around in the 
woods so they won't need to. Our dogs come too and the
cockatoo can be trusted to ride or fly along 
in a pinch (don't try this at home with YOUR bird folks,
we're 24 years into it with ours and she'd cling 
to us like a leech before she'd fly off!). They can all be
VERY QUIET if we ask and a couple of the 
dogs will fetch wild rabbits, etc. for us and share! Why on
earth would I want to do all that if I didn't 
have to?I'd only even consider it if absolute anarchy took
place and we were under attack - and only 
go far enough to defend my STUFF! I know where all the
edible plants are here. I know where I can 
shelter, get water stay cool, be safe from storms, who I can
trust and where my network of resource 
people are. Living or setting up a simple camp in a place
that is sustainable for disaster of any type 
is the only thing that makes sense to me.

I keep a small cage for the cockatoo, clean and ready in a
plastic bag on hand for emergencies. I 
have a larger one she can - and did for several days - live
in comfortably if we lost everything, 
stored away from the house. I keep an EXTRA large birdcage
in case her present home should need 
work or be damaged. We've had lots of practice with travel,
vet trips and local outings for many 
years so we can handle disasters with a cranky, sensitive,
LOUD when unhappy, cockatoo... We 
have a large store of dry and canned food, keep filtered
water stored on hand and have provisions 
for making lots more with what we have on hand. We keep
emergency surgical supplies, sanitizing 
agents, and all the basic staple items as well. We have a
small solar cooker we built one winter when 
we were snowed in, that we can use if all else just fails. 
We have a small wood stove we can set up 
to cook outside if it gets really bad. We won't go hungry,
cold or even uncomfortable in about any 
foreseeable disaster and have split our storage of this
stuff into two locations - in case we might lose 
one. We just live like that. It's a lot easier than trying
to "prepare".

The hardest thing for us right now is to try to live a
"disposable, on-demand" lifestyle! I had to 
dumpster dive in the recycling bin for a recent recycling
class for our shop apprentices. We have 
never lived a disposable lifestyle. It's the best we can do
right now but that will soon improve too.


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