# The weakest link...



## oif_ghost_tod (Sep 25, 2012)

Sometimes the best way to prepare ourselves is not to inventory what we have, or what our strengths are, but rather to know our weaknesses and begin the work of fixing those areas of our preps.

So the topic I thought I would start a discussion on is the holes in our survival plans...what is the weakest link in your chain?

Mine without a doubt is the location of my primary residence, which is right in a small village of <500 population. I have a garden, but no room for livestock or chickens. 
I am always on the lookout for a better place, but it has eluded me thus far. 

So what is your weak point?


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## kejmack (May 17, 2011)

My weakness is water. Being in Texas, water is always on your mind even with a well.


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## Claymore5150 (Nov 17, 2011)

My weakest point is living location...smack in the middle of a neighborhood with tons of APT complexes and houses. 
It sucks.


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

Food. My food stores are growing all the time, but my renewable food sources are VERY weak.


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## sillymoo (Oct 30, 2011)

Compared to the average prepper, I would say I am weak in almost every area. We are still crawling out from under a financial disaster, our long term supplies are minimal, and gardens are not allowed in our subdivision (which is full of entitled brats that would rather spend $50,000 on a car instead of $400 on a decent generator). On the plus side, I am 99% confident that we can survive a 2 week catastrophe like Sandy with little problem and we have enough food for 3 months. Little by little, I am working to up it to one year.


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## emilnon (May 8, 2012)

kejmack said:


> My weakness is water. Being in Texas, water is always on your mind even with a well.


I second that! Plus location- I'm stuck in the 'burbs outside of Houston...


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## oif_ghost_tod (Sep 25, 2012)

sillymoo said:


> Compared to the average prepper, I would say I am weak in almost every area. We are still crawling out from under a financial disaster, our long term supplies are minimal, and gardens are not allowed in our subdivision (which is full of entitled brats that would rather spend $50,000 on a car instead of $400 on a decent generator). On the plus side, I am 99% confident that we can survive a 2 week catastrophe like Sandy with little problem and we have enough food for 3 months. Little by little, I am working to up it to one year.


Get seeds anyway! Having a variety of seeds on hand is smart for a variety of reasons. You can always put them in the ground post-SHTF or barter them for other supplies.

Or try permaculture!

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=KMkmgolAj6o&desktop_uri=/watch?v=KMkmgolAj6o

This place is simply awesome.


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## 101airborne (Jan 29, 2010)

I'd say my weakest link is my primary residence as well, we're on the edge of a mid size city. While we can have a garded and livestock if we want ( don't have any livestock at present) good source of water (well) actually 2 other sources also. Our problem is non prepping neighbors.


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## sillymoo (Oct 30, 2011)

oif_ghost_tod said:


> Get seeds anyway! Having a variety of seeds on hand is smart for a variety of reasons. You can always put them in the ground post-SHTF or barter them for other supplies.
> 
> Or try permaculture!
> 
> ...


Oh, I have lots of seeds. I also have "ornamental" blueberry bushes and cherry trees in the front, and I have a very small veggie garden hidden in back. It is only large enough for green beans and a few herbs, but I am learning from it.


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## AuroraHawk (Sep 12, 2012)

sillymoo said:


> Compared to the average prepper, I would say I am weak in almost every area. We are still crawling out from under a financial disaster, our long term supplies are minimal, and gardens are not allowed in our subdivision (which is full of entitled brats that would rather spend $50,000 on a car instead of $400 on a decent generator). On the plus side, I am 99% confident that we can survive a 2 week catastrophe like Sandy with little problem and we have enough food for 3 months. Little by little, I am working to up it to one year.


Container garden.

Cherry and Roma tomatoes in hanging baskets out back.
Fennel, mixed salad greens in urns near the front entrance.
Flowering kale and cabbage in a bed with Northern Lights Chard,

Edible landscaping and container gardening can get around the garden police.


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## Dallas7415 (Jul 24, 2010)

*Lessons learned from Sandy!*

Being 5 miles away from the Jersey Coast, I felt the wrath of Sandy, as well as Irene. Irene made Landfall 10 miles from my house and Sandy 15 miles. I'll skip to my observations on Sandy because that was a worse storm for us. We live in a small town with a lot of trees. Power and phone service went out both times almost immediately. Cell phone service was spotty at best. I have Verizon and fared better than those of other providers.

1.) The generator was mandatory. Our generator is only 7500 Watts, but it was able to power a freezer/refrigerator, a chest freezer, cell phone chargers, etc. It has a low oil cut-off, which is essential (As is extra oil) I was running at approximately 25% load and lasted 24 hours per 5 gallon fill. I was unable to power my well pump, either do to ineptness or not enough power. Not sure whether it is 240. My next large purchase will be a generator sub-panel and twist lock plug for connection to the main panel.

2.) Gasoline for the generator. I kept the generator filled and kept 4-5 gallon and 2-2 gallon cans filled, as well as our 2 vehicles. Additionally, I had 55 gallons in 2 of my boats I could have utilized, as well as siphon hoses. I had 11 gallons of 2 stroke mixed gas also in a pinch. The gas was all stabilized. Fortunately, I was able to drive 30 miles inland and obtain gas if necessary. Gas shortages still abound in North Jersey and New York. Fist fights and gun play have been reported.

2.) Water-I filled the tub prior to the storm for toilet flushing purposes. I used a 3 gallon bucket per flush, which was not used every time. (2 people in the house). I had approximately 100 gallons of purified, stabilized water. Cleaning dishes took a lot, despite using disposable plates and utensils on occasion. Next time I will use pots and pans and only disposable plates and utensils. I plan on tripling my water supply in the coming weeks.

3.) Cooking-I have a propane stove so cooking was not an issue. I am on the budget plan and get automatic delivery. Additionally, I have several camp stoves and a propane grill. I keep 3-25lb bottles filled at all times. A charcoal grill and charcoal may be a good idea as a backup.

4.) Heat-This could have been an issue. It got in to the high 30's and low 40's at night. I had a big buddy propane heater but did not want to bring it into the house. I am looking at alternate heat sources. The house heater is propane, but with the electric fan, I couldn't use it. I am looking into whether it can be hooked up to the generator.

5.) Communications-Were able to get spotty coverage with Verizon. Neighbors on different services weren't able to get coverage. Have 2 NOAA/Ham/AM/FM receivers and could have used the radios in the vehicles in a pinch. Signed up with Township and received text updates frequently regarding conditions, evac centers, emergency services, etc.

6.) Food-House was fully stocked with our normal food. Due to generator, we were not affected in the food department. Additionally, I have approximately 1 yr of freeze dried food for the 2 of us.

7.) Lighting-Used Rayovac Sportsman LED lanterns for lighting. On Low setting 3 D batteries last for 140 hours. We had headlamps and bright handheld flashlights for security. Additionally, I had crank flashlights. They work great.

8.) Security-Looting was rampant in the days following the storm and still continues in some areas. We live near the largest tourist beach in the state. All of the barrier islands were evacuated prior to the storm, creating massive opportunities for criminals from other areas to loot. The State Police, National Guard, Marine police as well as police from other states are now providing security and id checking. People were accessing the islands via boat, and were being arrested on the water. Even residents were not allowed to enter. 2 days after the storm, I frightened away 3 vehicles that had entered my driveway, as well as an individual that opened a gate and entered my deck. I'm sure they were up to no go. I had the generator against the house and believe that was the target. My dog barking frightened that individual away. I live in a very small town, with approximately 30 houses spread along a mile long area. I do not live in or near any major cities. I do, however, live on a major road that provides access to several beach areas, although they are approximately 10 miles away in opposite directions. I was locked and loaded from that point forward. Lesson learned about being close to highways, near tourist areas, on major access routes.

Observations-Generators, gas cans, sump pumps, extension cords, flashlights, batteries, plywood 2 x 4's etc, tarps, coolers, water containers, grills, charcoal, lightbulbs and all of your usual hardware items disappeared in immediate aftermath of the storm, despite extra stocks being shipped in prior to the storm.

Water, canned goods with pull tabs, (Apparently many don't have hand can openers) bread, milk, donuts, snacks, hot dogs, hamburgers and other grill and easy to prepare foods, frozen pizzas (Can't understand that one), hand sanitizer (I had a bunch and we relied on it greatly), soap, Baby wipes (Another item we relied upon) soft drinks, vitamin drinks, energy drinks, socks, undergarments, jackets, blankets, ALL CAMPING SUPPLIES, and ICE all disappeared.

As it references my prepping:

1.) Immediately tripling my water storage

2.) Purchasing and installing generator sub box and twist lock plug. This will correct the well and heating issues, as well as do away with the extension cords and power strips I kept tripping over.

3.) Keeping the driveway gate closed at all times.

4.) Looking into more gas storage.

5.) Getting more signs from the alarm company and putting beware of dog signs up.

6.) Replace all expendables we used, to include food, water, batteries, paper goods and utensils, hand sanitizer, baby wipes, etc. Change oil in generator. Recharge battery in generator.

7.) Construct latticework to conceal generator.

8.) Lock all outbuildings every night. Secure gas grill to deck. Purchase extra bulbs for exterior lighting.

Prescription medications were not an issue as I purchase them in 90 day quantities and have a large back-up supply.

I hope this helps someone with their prepping!


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## Tweto (Nov 26, 2011)

My weakest link is my age


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## invision (Aug 14, 2012)

Dallas7415 said:


> Being 5 miles away from the Jersey Coast, I felt the wrath of Sandy, as well as Irene. Irene made Landfall 10 miles from my house and Sandy 15 miles. I'll skip to my observations on Sandy because that was a worse storm for us. We live in a small town with a lot of trees. Power and phone service went out both times almost immediately. Cell phone service was spotty at best. I have Verizon and fared better than those of other providers.
> 
> 1.) The generator was mandatory. Our generator is only 7500 Watts, but it was able to power a freezer/refrigerator, a chest freezer, cell phone chargers, etc. It has a low oil cut-off, which is essential (As is extra oil) I was running at approximately 25% load and lasted 24 hours per 5 gallon fill. I was unable to power my well pump, either do to ineptness or not enough power. Not sure whether it is 240. My next large purchase will be a generator sub-panel and twist lock plug for connection to the main panel.
> 
> ...


Very nice report on the situation, a lot to learn from! Thanks for posting it...


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## oif_ghost_tod (Sep 25, 2012)

Thanks Dallas! Great stuff!


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## Wellrounded (Sep 25, 2011)

At the moment I have three areas of concern. We're getting to the age where we're finding some things a bit difficult, not as young/fit as we used to be. I really need to make sure I have a hard copy of all information I've gathered. Stockfeed, we always need more stockfeed. 
We are working on all of these. Finding ways to make the work easier, printing all those files and slowly changing the way the farm works to become more selfsufficient. 
I like to stand back and look at what we're doing periodically, you can get bogged down with all the detail and not look at the big picture.


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## Viking (Mar 16, 2009)

Tweto said:


> My weakest link is my age


At turning 70 just last month this is a bit on my mind but on the other hand I'm still very active, in good health and pretty good physical condition so if we had to we could bug out.


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## Londoner (Aug 24, 2012)

It is nieve to imagine that in a crisis you could grow your own vegetables or keep livestock and other people would let you. Try and defend it and you would just get yourself killed.

The best thing to do would be to scout out some sites for "wild farms" where you could plant out root crops like potatoes turnips and carrots in a random fashion just in the hedgerows or scattered along the banks of a river over several miles.

The average ******* joe wouldn't recognise what was growing and set back away from roads and pathways it will be well hidden in plain view. You could inspect your crops in the guise of a hiker or bird watcher without having to reveal what you were doing. by this means you could plant a huge amount more than in a veg patch.

several different sites would afford even more protection


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## oif_ghost_tod (Sep 25, 2012)

Londoner said:


> It is nieve to imagine that in a crisis you could grow your own vegetables or keep livestock and other people would let you. Try and defend it and you would just get yourself killed.
> 
> The best thing to do would be to scout out some sites for "wild farms" where you could plant out root crops like potatoes turnips and carrots in a random fashion just in the hedgerows or scattered along the banks of a river over several miles.
> 
> ...


While I am totally on board with the Guerilla Gardening movement, I don't believe that its totally hopeless to grow a garden in a post-SHTF world, or keep livestock.
If your BOL is relatively well hidden, and your neighbors trustworthy, most people should be left alone.

I believe a "frontier mentality" will be the prevalent attitude after the initial SHTF. There will be many displaced people and roving gangs will be more prevalent, but not everywhere.
Mostly its going to affect the convenience of things for those of us who can already hunt, fish, cook, garden, sew, tinker, build, preserve food, and live sustainably. 
For those who cannot do any of these things its going to hasten their learning curve a bit. 
Some will adapt, many will suffer, and everyone will be tested, but some will survive and even thrive. Life will become simpler, daylight will become precious again, things that used to be thrown away will have value once more, and things will never be the same. 
We will go on though, because people like us are just that stubborn, we refuse to resign ourselves to situations beyond our control, we simply find a way to adapt and fight through.

That's why preppers are awesome.


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## Wellrounded (Sep 25, 2011)

Londoner said:


> It is nieve to imagine that in a crisis you could grow your own vegetables or keep livestock and other people would let you. Try and defend it and you would just get yourself killed.
> 
> The best thing to do would be to scout out some sites for "wild farms" where you could plant out root crops like potatoes turnips and carrots in a random fashion just in the hedgerows or scattered along the banks of a river over several miles.
> 
> ...


That might work where you are with hedgerows and summer rain. Not here mate, if you don't water it it dies. Your situation with 50,300 square miles of ground and 53,000,000 million people is a little different to our 2, 900,000 square miles and just 23,000,000 people.


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## Crrrock (Sep 29, 2011)

Our BOL is actually BugIn, and even most of the locals don't know we're here. The city folk will never make it here anyway. It's nice to think, in a perfect world (post SHTF) that you could farm your hedgerows without being noticed. After all, there's bound to me a plethora of "hikers and birdwatchers" heading home with a bag of spuds.  just sayin'.


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

kejmack said:


> My weakness is water. Being in Texas, water is always on your mind even with a well.


Ditto!

I live just a few miles from the Brazos River, I am going to put a water tank and pump on my trailer to haul water the garden and for household use if needed.



Londoner said:


> It is nieve to imagine that in a crisis you could grow your own vegetables or keep livestock and other people would let you. Try and defend it and you would just get yourself killed.


I think that we may all have learning experiences in a SHTF world BUT that will go both ways. When someone learns that they may well be shot and killed for theft, it will be a big attitude adjuster for them. In the state of Texas, there are likely many more guns than people and many of us are more than willing to use them to protect what is ours, especially when our lives (and the lives of our loved ones) depend on it.


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## RoadRash (Sep 29, 2010)

Gardening at BOL as right now its a rental property, have shovels axes picks need seeds that is my goal this winter. as well good fishing in area and a fair bit of wildlife .......


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

RoadRash said:


> Gardening at BOL as right now its a rental property, have shovels axes picks need seeds that is my goal this winter. as well good fishing in area and a fair bit of wildlife .......


On the seeds, If you cant obtain any from commercial suppliers, most beans will grow true to the plant they were harvested from since most can be self pollinating. When I was a kid, store bought "Eaten Beans" were all we planted for dry beans.

Many seed type herbs(dill, fennel, cumin...) can be grown from whole store boughts at the spice section of a grocery store.

Potatoes and sweet potatoes are the same, store boughts can give yields comparable to seed stock.

They may not have the germination rate as "Seed Stock" but you can plant them thick and thin out any that come up to dense.

The main point is that if you cant get garden seeds, you can still grow a verity of foods.


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