# Mistakes Preppers Make



## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

I think it is fair to say we all share some level of expertise when it comes to prepping. I think it is also fair to say that we all have more to learn and have the potential of becoming complacent. Instead of discussing what a new prepper should be doing, how about we write about mistakes preppers make or can make. Consider this less criticism and more about avoiding pitfalls and complacency. Some of these thoughts will seem obvious to one forum member but might also be an excellent reminder to another. It might also help newer members avoided making mistakes before they happen.

*Knowledge:* One area that I see as potentially problematic is having preps but not having the knowledge to properly use them. A CAT tourniquet, compression bandage and a Celox packet are valuable medical supplies, but only if you know how to use them. Having a spare parts kit for your carry gun is a great idea, but if you don't know how to install them you might find yourself without a working gun. And in my case having heirloom seeds is a great idea but I should probably develop some gardening skills before I actually need that food to survive (my wife is the green thumb holder of our house).

*Having a library:* Another thing I have seen first hand is people who have a wide variety of articles, how to videos, PDF's and other resources on their computers but not in printed form. Little good those resources will be if the power grid goes down or your computer becomes worthless. For the first 2-3 years after I started prepping I had compiled tons of good info but it was all digital. Now I have an entire shelf of books, manuals, military guides and other printed resources. They will be invaluable to me if the computer ends comes to an end. But I also have other books ranging from the Bible to comic books, coloring books, novels and even some song books. Entertainment is also a prep.

So what so you? What mistakes do you think some preppers make?


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## crabapple (Jan 1, 2012)

I only have a small prep library.
More fruit trees & first aid.
More metal, never enough silver.


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## RedBeard (May 8, 2017)

Sentry18 said:


> I think it is fair to say we all share some level of expertise when it comes to prepping. I think it is also fair to say that we all have more to learn and have the potential of becoming complacent. Instead of discussing what a new prepper should be doing, how about we write about mistakes preppers make or can make. Consider this less criticism and more about avoiding pitfalls and complacency. Some of these thoughts will seem obvious to one forum member but might also be an excellent reminder to another. It might also help newer members avoided making mistakes before they happen.
> 
> *Knowledge:* One area that I see as potentially problematic is having preps but not having the knowledge to properly use them. A CAT tourniquet, compression bandage and a Celox packet are valuable medical supplies, but only if you know how to use them. Having a spare parts kit for your carry gun is a great idea, but if you don't know how to install them you might find yourself without a working gun. And in my case having heirloom seeds is a great idea but I should probably develop some gardening skills before I actually need that food to survive (my wife is the green thumb holder of our house).
> 
> ...


Biggest one is what you said, people should build some of the things they have saved on pdf. See if they work, try out different ideas now so you know what works. And practice skills.


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## FrankW (Mar 10, 2012)

*Mistake many Preppers make*: Spending money on an ancient "EMP Proof" truck which will offer less reliability than a newer one.

There are no indications/data/studies anywhere that an EMP would immobilize vehicles via thier ECU (other than thru traffic jams resulting from no traffic light as the grid is down.

But the opposite has been shown many times... both in studies done by DTRA and in germany where cars have been exposed to lighting hits as part of testing.. those are invariably more powerful than any EMP will ever be.

So buying and maintaining ancient trucks a bit unnecessary expense fueled by fiction books and the occasional talking head.

If u want to do it as a hobby because u enjoy old trucks.. Have at it.. but dont call it a "prep"

Whats good for prepping is _the most reliable vehicle one can readily afford_. Yes they dont make'em lke they used and thank your lucky stars they dont.

(As for myself I do keep a spare set of keys in a faraday cage ( security chip) which is a more realistic concern than a double shielded ECU ( sleeve and vehicle body))


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## bugoutbob (Nov 11, 2012)

Relying on whiz bang gadgets and books without having ever tested them in real life or even tried to apply what the book teaches. I have a lot of book knowledge in many subjects as I am a voracious reader ( no voracious isn't a form of dinosaur or disease, it means I have a huge appetite for reading). I have learned that as valuable as the book knowledge is, it isn't much good if you can't employ it. As to whiz bang gadgets, they are cool and I own some, but often they don't deliver what they promise.


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## terri9630 (Jun 2, 2016)

BlueZ said:


> *Mistake many Preppers make*: Spending money on an ancient "EMP Proof" truck which will offer less reliability than a newer one.
> 
> There are no indications/data/studies anywhere that an EMP would immobilize vehicles via thier ECU (other than thru traffic jams resulting from no traffic light as the grid is down.
> 
> ...


We have older vehicles because they don't have computers to screw things up and are easier to fix with out an electronics degree. My husband is restoring/rebuilding an older jeep and can take the entire thing apart and put it back together to make repairs. If you so much as disconnect the battery on some new vehicles you can mess the computers up.


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

*Not rotating stock:* I have fallen into this trap myself. I have one metal shelving unit full of canned foods and other store bought items. I would stock it left to right and when it was full I would start using the products leaving a gap between the oldest and the newest. Eventually the shelves filled up, the gap disappeared and I kept on living life. When I went to rotate I ended up having to toss out some of the food. Now I pay much more attention to rotating stock.


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## power (May 7, 2011)

The biggest mistake I see Preppers make is believing what they read on the computer. Everywhere you look there are articles written about prepping and homesteading by people who have never been out of the city.
Most of the time it is well written and looks good. As far as working, it leaves a lot to be desired. Many of the people reading these articles will not take time to try what they read. Many will not even give it any thought.
If anything ever happens you will see just as many preppers failing to make it as you will any other group.


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## DrPrepper (Apr 17, 2016)

*Not preparing for realistic situations:* It seems a lot of people prep for things like EMPs, total collapse of the economy, and nuclear holocaust, but do not do a realistic threat assessment for their area. Yes, I have the above catastrophic things listed in my threat assessment, but they are way down the list. Things that are more significant for me are severe winter weather and forest fire. It adds a lot of drama to prepare for the zombie apocalypse, but if I can't manage 5 or 6 feet of snow, how in the world will I handle zombies???


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## camo2460 (Feb 10, 2013)

Many Preppers rely on Modern Tools, Modern Weapons, all which make life easy and takes the Labor out of any Task. How many though, know how to work with old Hand Tools such as a Brace and Bit, Hand Saw, Hand Plane etc. If you needed a Lathe could you make a Foot Powered one, and could you use it? How many know how to build a Log Cabin, make simple Furniture, or Forge simple Tools? As far as weapons go could you make an effective Bow, how about a Sling like David used against Goliath or other Ancient Weapons? Knowledge is true Power, and as others have said, knowing how to apply that Knowledge is just as important.


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## sewingcreations15 (Aug 19, 2017)

Hello everyone and a good subject  .

Mistakes I have seen in friends around me are -

- Not dating any items that come into your home and not using FIFO, no matter if it is food or anything.
- Not stocking food that you normally eat or even like to eat.
- Stocking copious amounts of food and other items and not using it and then telling me that they just threw out boxes of food stuff that was 10 years old  .
- Buying and then not learning how to use equipment that you have purchased, yes old fashioned tools are just one of many.
- A special note to ladies (of which I am one) learn how to use all the equipment in your home including home, garden and protection equipment in case something happens to your husband. I will say this as my husband has massive injuries from his military service and when he goes down with pain which can be a few weeks at a time, I can carry on regardless and look after him. Think of grid down and the worst case scenario that you loose your husband then it will be up to you anyway.
- Write instructions on medications etc for the whole family so they can use it too should you not be around.
- Stocking too much of an item and then not being able to use it - yes I have done this in my early prepping ventures but learnt by it.
- Not spreading out your food purchases so everything expires at once. If it is a good deal then I will buy a years worth but as I use them and see other specials I will replace the stocks I use so I have a variety of use by dates.

Noteworthy statements from prepping close friends that I have heard -

- I stock powdered milk and never use it and don't know what I can use it for.
- I stock wheat in tins under the house and once a year I go under the house and shake the tins to find out if they are off or not - nope they don't use it.
- A dr friend I have heaps of medications stored so my family will be right to which I said "does the whole family know how to use them should you not be around" answer "good point I will teach the whole family how to use them".
- I have stocked x amount of years of tinned and other food and yesterday threw out 10 boxes stored in our garage as there is only 2 of us there is no way we can use it all in time.
- Notes on female friends sayings - the yard and equipment is his department and the house is my department.
- Notes on some other ladies on manual work outside, "that is what I married him for" . No she was not joking either to which I firmly did this :ignore: , nope I shall not say anything la la la . 

Here is how I look at it and how we work in our home is that every task is everyone's responsibility. 

Noting here that although I am an independent fit woman I know my limitations, and will adapt techniques to the fact that my upper body strength is not as much as my husbands, as I am neatly half his weight. I manually split wood, I cut firewood with a large forestry chain saw and small one too, I lift 40kg logs, I know how to mow the lawn, I can use power and hand tools and renovate houses, I can change a tyre and top up the oil in my car, I can panel beat my car on the side of a road should I hit a kangaroo (boy I love chains) and lots more . Yes I do lots more gentle pursuits too.


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

biggest one is stuff instead of skills, who knows where you might be when disaster hits,


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## sgtusmc98 (Sep 8, 2013)

As crazy as it sounds many peepers don't prep for no disaster. Prepping can be exciting, lots of guns, bad off road ride and no plans for next year if the economy keeps going, no EMP or invasive of zombies ever comes. A good friend of mine falls in this category, he actually has a decent job but I think something is missing in it and he doesn't like it but is 10 years out from retirement. Seems to hope for the fall of society so he can do something else.

I have always had concerns with bug out plans, I'm not bugging out and I know everyone can't live in a situation where that's an option, it seems that very often bug out plans stop with getting out with no known real destination or the destination is vague. I would think that for those that are planning on bugging out to somewhere not their own property they should do very extensive studying of the area. Back when preppers were called survivalist my area was a prime location for around here, some locations won't be as vacant as expected, rural areas will have local hunters everywhere until there is nothing left to hunt and they may not be keen to having outsiders hunting their backyards.


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## hiwall (Jun 15, 2012)

One of the biggest things a person has to ever worry about is water and most preppers talk about it but do nothing about it. Oh, they buy a water filter or three but that is it. Some say they have a pond or a stream a half mile away and they say they will use that for water. Yet they never walked to that water source and carried back a pail of water to see if they even could do so. 
Even water heaters, which everyone depends on for safe drinking water should be at least partially drained a couple times a year to flush out the debris on the bottom. No one does this. When the time comes and they hold their glass under that drain and open it for the first time they will be shocked at what comes out.


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## cqp33 (Apr 2, 2012)

Agree with all points made here, I will add that someone mentioned fruit trees. I have several fruit trees that are in the ground and have lost several to deer, diseases, me being a dumba$$! If your orchard isn't in working order before SHTF your screwed if your bugging in! If your bugging out good luck finding fruit out there that won't be watched by someone, picked through or whatever. 

My point is if you plan on bugging out and setting up a place to garden, get started now! If you plan on bugging in and don't have a garden/orchard already producing...get started now! Get the point here....get started now!

I have learned a lot through my failures! Who knew that in East TN pear and sweet cherry trees do better in mostly shade (2-3 hours of sunlight per day). Also arctic Kiwi does way better in shade (2-3 hours of sun) than in full sun. As a matter of fact I was shocked by the fact these plants will do better in shade than full sun: Pears, Strawberries, Grapes, cherry, raspberry, Okra, radish, peas, brussel sprouts and the following i am NOT entirely surprised about because they are cold weather lovers: Asparagus, spinach, colards, cauliflower, broccoli and salad greens. As a matter of fact they will have trouble in the full sun if you are to far south! This is all "application" knowledge that can only be gained by DOING and trying out what works for you. It can also require 2-3 locations for your garden vice one large place, all of which needs to be in place prior to needing it to live on!


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## FrankW (Mar 10, 2012)

*Mistakes Preppers make*

Here is another one.. unbalanced Preps.

What do I mean.. simple 
-some folks are purely about Firearms... because they're fun.
Thats how I started out BTW...
But if you are all about Firearms what will you eat?
Just rob people? Aside from the fact that this is deeply unethical , it's also not a good plan... no matter how good you are. if your plan is to repeatedly attack others (and thats what it comes down to) you will not last long.
But many folks just enjoy firearms and buy more and more of them.
if you have more than 2 modern fightng rifles for every adult in your household or group. Youre not prepping you are enjoying a firearms hobby.
Nothing wrong with that but its important to understand..

-The other extreme is the pure homesteader, He's got a nice spread.. animals land and feels reasonably isolated.
But this has the potential of making you just a grocery store for other (while they walk over your corpses)

... some may shy back from idea violence since due to age they have no confidence for it.. or maybe they are former hippes and dont like violence.
Every adult, or at least every male adult, must have an AR15 (or AK series or other modern fighting rifle) have plenty of Ammo for and be _competent_ in its use.
The latter can only be accomplished by training that's both intense and realistic.

I encourage everyone to attend professional firearms training. And homesteaders ought to have the opportunity to practice on their homestead too.
Even if you are 70 make no mistake about it.. as long as you have mobility, a serviceable tactical rifle, avoid unfavorable tactical situations (awareness!) and are moderately well trained you can take out all sorts of orcs..even small groups of them..


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## CrackbottomLouis (May 20, 2012)

Being unorganized is my biggest downfall. Im better with the food prep organization than I used to be but organizing all my gear is something I have a hard time with. Everytime I go on a hiking/hunting/fishing trip everything has to be tossed about to find that one missing item and then it never gets back right. Doesnt seem to be a good way to do it so far. My gear room is an unholy mess right now. God forbid something happen today because it would take me hours to respond effectively. Prepper fail.


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## TheLazyL (Jun 5, 2012)

Specialization in one area of preping with the thought they can trade their specialization for the 95% of things they haven't preped for.


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## CrackbottomLouis (May 20, 2012)

A big mistake I have made in the past and I see other preppers make is neglecting physical fitness as a prep. Body and mind are your 2 most important survival tools. Physical fitness is difficult because it takes dedication and work especially the older we get so it often gets neglected. My past year has been focused in this area.


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## RedBeard (May 8, 2017)

BlueZ said:


> *Mistakes Preppers make*
> 
> -The other extreme is the pure homesteader, He's got a nice spread.. animals land and feels reasonably isolated.
> But this has the potential of making you just a grocery store for other (while they walk over your corpses)


That's a very good point and exactly why i have teamed up with other people. Most of whom are current and ex military. While the masses may try and walk on my corpse they will have one hell of a time actually doing it.


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

Here's another one: *Dental Health *

Many of us, myself included, push off those cleanings and repairs. Given the choice between sitting in that chair with all the modern equipment, medications, gasses, etc. and an actual dentist is a far better option than sitting in my basement with a buddy, some pliers and some whiskey. Get those teeth cleaned and repaired now. And don't forget to prep for dental health care while you can. Someone in the cheap preps thread mentioned temporary fillings but you can also buy (or build) premade dental first aid kits. I have a couple made by Adventure Medical and have supplemented them with things like a dental tool kit, Orajel, DentTemp, Refillit and other OTC dental preparations and tools. I of course also have toothbrushes, baking soda and grapefruit seed extract (natural antibiotic for brushing teeth).


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## power (May 7, 2011)

The majority of preppers I have seen are just playing. They gather up all kinds of stuff and store it at their home. They do not give any thought about loosing their home and all of their supplies.
Most can not and never have hunted any type of animal. Many think it is easy to walk out into the woods and kill an animal.
Most do not even raise a garden and have no idea what wild plants are edible.
Most think if they have a large caliber gun with a large capacity magazine and lots of ammo they are doing great.

This is just a game many people play. Sort of like small children playing house.
We all hope that there will never come a time when all of the prepping is necessary. There will probably not be anything to worry about in our lifetime.
But please do not be fooled. People who are worried about walking the dog or mowing their lawn will not be around long enough to need any preparations.


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## TheLazyL (Jun 5, 2012)

Mistakes Preppers Make: 

Living from paycheck to paycheck.


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

CrackbottomLouis said:


> Being unorganized is my biggest downfall. Im better with the food prep organization than I used to be but organizing all my gear is something I have a hard time with. Everytime I go on a hiking/hunting/fishing trip everything has to be tossed about to find that one missing item and then it never gets back right. Doesnt seem to be a good way to do it so far. My gear room is an unholy mess right now. God forbid something happen today because it would take me hours to respond effectively. Prepper fail.


Something that can be corrected with a few industrial shelves; they are on CL every week or so in my area here. Cheap!!

For those items, even labeling isn't required---just sight, observation works.
I have a 8X8 storage room I made shelves from one wall to wall. I just need something, it's pretty easy to find...like a gallon of laundry detergent.
Yeah, I have gallons!!!!


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

*Not prepping for happiness* (after TEOTWAWKI or long term SHTF).

Survival is hard work. It is going to take it's toll on you and your loved ones. The younger or more fragile your loved ones the greater the toll it's going to take. IMO you need to prep for "happiness". For kids it could be some candy, chocolate, small toys, coloring books, legos, etc. For adults it could be a treat, maybe a bottle of wine, some condoms  , a family keepsake, that old harmonica or perhaps an old letter. It's easy to prep for these things if you bug in, it's harder if you plan to (or have to) bug out. My BOB has a family photo in it. It's flat and sturdy as I had it laminated, but it's there. Something that simple could be invaluable to me. It also has a sample bottle of my wife's favorite perfume. Sometimes it's the little things that bring joy back into our hearts. And joy can keep us going even when the world is in chaos and death/despair are everywhere.


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## tmttactical (Nov 23, 2015)

This was the biggest mistake I made and I am sure many, many other made and still make. Before you start any type of prepping sit down and very carefully analyse you, your capabilities (mental and physical) and your situation. I first started to list all these items I would need to bug out --- before I realized I was not going to be able to bug out, Health and age issues. 

Don't spend time and money researching outdoor equipment unless you have determined, you have the skills and physical abilities to survive outdoor living. Analyse your physical health, financial health, mental health (are you a survivor?) your skill sets (being a nuclear scientist does not qualify your to live off the land), and many other honest assessments. Once you know what you can and cannot do, then focus your prepping in the your selected direction.


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## angie_nrs (Jul 26, 2017)

power said:


> The majority of preppers I have seen are just playing. They gather up all kinds of stuff and store it at their home. They do not give any thought about loosing their home and all of their supplies.
> Most can not and never have hunted any type of animal. Many think it is easy to walk out into the woods and kill an animal.
> Most do not even raise a garden and have no idea what wild plants are edible.
> Most think if they have a large caliber gun with a large capacity magazine and lots of ammo they are doing great.
> ...


Well, I figure everybody's gotta start somewhere. I'm OK with those who just stock up.....at least they have come to the conclusion that being prepared is necessary. They'll eventually realize that perhaps more is warranted.....but even if not, "a little bit prepped" is better than "not prepped at all." They have embraced the fact that something bad can happen at any time. That's a good start!

When I first started, I kinda freaked out and bought a bunch of canned foods, tools, gas cans, water purifiers, etc. In time I learned it's a marathon....not a sprint and started doing and learning different things at a slower rate so I didn't get burned out. I was/am doing more out of curiosity and the thirst for knowledge instead of "OMG, I have to learn right now in order to save my hide someday!"

If anything really bad did happen like in "One Second After", then I'm sure I'd be like one of those who were "playing games". As someone up thread already stated.....preppers will fail too. I might last longer than some others, but I don't know everything about everything and I never will. I can only hope that my family will stay healthy and help fill in the gaps where I am lacking in knowledge or ability. I still have a life to live and there are only so many hours in a day.


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## LastOutlaw (Jun 1, 2013)

BlueZ said:


> *Mistake many Preppers make*: Spending money on an ancient "EMP Proof" truck which will offer less reliability than a newer one.
> 
> There are no indications/data/studies anywhere that an EMP would immobilize vehicles via thier ECU (other than thru traffic jams resulting from no traffic light as the grid is down.
> 
> ...


I disagree. Whether you think an EMP may or may not happen or whether you think a truck may or may not run is beside the point. I have one and I use it every day. Maintenance is minimal and I have much less in it than my tacoma.

And yes it is part of my PREPS. As much as my horse and my rifle and my med gear.

I hope your truck runs when you pull your key out of your Faraday cage.

Personally I think if your truck has a key with a chip in it then your truck will not run after an EMP. But again... what I think is beside the point. LOL


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## LastOutlaw (Jun 1, 2013)

Dont tell your friends and neighbors that you are prepping.


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## RedBeard (May 8, 2017)

DrDianaAnderson said:


> *Not preparing for realistic situations:* It seems a lot of people prep for things like EMPs, total collapse of the economy, and nuclear holocaust, but do not do a realistic threat assessment for their area. Yes, I have the above catastrophic things listed in my threat assessment, but they are way down the list. Things that are more significant for me are severe winter weather and forest fire. It adds a lot of drama to prepare for the zombie apocalypse, but if I can't manage 5 or 6 feet of snow, how in the world will I handle zombies???





LastOutlaw said:


> I disagree. Whether you think an EMP may or may not happen or whether you think a truck may or may not run is beside the point. I have one and I use it every day. Maintenance is minimal and I have much less in it than my tacoma.
> 
> And yes it is part of my PREPS. As much as my horse and my rifle and my med gear.
> 
> ...


Ya i like the old rigs. They run perfect. Put a distributor in the microwave and thats all you need to make it run. New rigs, well besides that fancy chip in the key there are sensors and computers often times more than one. If your crank position and or cam position sensors go the fancy truck isn't moving.


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## angie_nrs (Jul 26, 2017)

LastOutlaw said:


> Dont tell your friends and neighbors that you are prepping.


Yes this!!

Once word gets out, you can't get it back. So, shut your face and just do it! Tell your immediate family members to keep their face shut too, especially if you have kids. In fact, I wouldn't even tell your kids what you're doing at all....let them think you're a pack rat and lock doors to any rooms that they don't need to see. That's not something they would tell their friends at school. But, if you tell them you are prepping, then that is a "secret" and they'll want to tell their friends. It (prepping) sounds way more exciting than it actually is.....

I know I have some family members who suspect what I'm doing, but I don't think anyone KNOWS for sure. When you grow food, can it, have full freezers, stocked shelves, own generators, extra fuel, etc....it's not too much of a stretch to figure out what you're doing.


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