# New to 'prepping'



## Turner (Dec 30, 2010)

Hello everyone! My wife and I have recently made the decision to start prepping, due to the way things are going. Any advice? We are setting up Bug-Out bags and Everyday carry bags for ourselves and our son, we are also looking for a BOL in Nebraska or Kansas, anybody out there? We look forward to learning and getting to know you all

Thank you


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## nj_m715 (Oct 31, 2008)

Welcome, just poke around and you'll find tons of info here.


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## Jason (Jul 25, 2009)

Turner, you've come to the right place. You've got 2 things going for you already: you've decided you need to do something to prepare for an uncertain future, and you're doing it as a family. Look around and ask lots of questions.


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## NavyKen (Feb 14, 2010)

Good for you turner. One thing I will tell you is dont fall for the pre-made food storage kits that have been on the TV and radio lately. you can put back twice the food for the same money doing it your self. And above all do not... I'll say it again NOT go into debt (Ie buy stores on credit) building your stores. If the economy does collapse debt is death.

By the way I sent you a private message.:congrat:


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## horseman09 (Mar 2, 2010)

Turner, if you don't mind some more advice -- if you are a chronic TV watcher after dinner, stop.

Instead, turn on your computer and start some serious browsing on this forum. As the others have said, you've come to the right place. Lots of folks here with absolutely invaluable experience and advice. 

Congrats to you and your wife for not being sheeple.


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

Good to hear that you are plannning for the future, when you can't afford to buy suplies keep looking for information there are a lot of good links and a ton of info on this site. being prepared is a lot more about attitude and knowledge/skills than supplies. :beercheer:


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## Ponce (May 3, 2009)

Turner?........remember than being a preper and a survivalist is a way of life and not a hobby.

Getting ready for the past then years and I am still not ready.....

"To be ready is not"... Ponce


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## mdprepper (Jan 22, 2010)

:welcome: to the forums!


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## Clarice (Aug 19, 2010)

Welcome, please share your knowledge with us. Remember to keep your preps between you and the family. Take it slow and steady. Yard sales, flea markets and thrift stores are a good source of supplies to make your prepping $ go further. It doesn't have to be new just useful.


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## vn6869 (May 5, 2010)

:welcome:
Like Ponce said . . . it's a way of life.
Prepping is not just food storage, it's energy alternatives, financial planning, home protection, and all around "awareness" of your environment.
eep:


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## popandnan (Dec 22, 2010)

*New prepper*

Hi, my husband and I are new to this, too. We are taking it one day at a time, reading and learning. Good to have you..............


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## tsrwivey (Dec 31, 2010)

Congradulations on your decision to get prepared! :congrat: Read, read, read but be sure to use critical thinking while you read. Some of the best info out there is mixed in with over exaggerations, half truths & craziness. Be clear on what your family wants to prepare for & how much time & money you can devote to the cause then stay within those parameters. Best of luck to you!


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## carolexan (Dec 28, 2010)

I too want to congratulate you for your decision to become a prepper. Speaking as a long time prepper there is always something to be learned from others. Having all the preps in world will not help you survive without the knowledge to use them. You taken a major step in the right direction...keep up the good work! I'm pulling for you.


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## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

By all means, ask questions. It's not only helpful to you, it's helpful to others - I know I get some of my best ideas from the questions other people ask. 

Prepping is so multi-faceted, it's hard to know where to start. I think jumping in, reading up on this forum, following links to articles or store sites - all of that is a good springboard for your research. If your brain hurts from all the new information you're trying to cram in, don't worry, it does get better. 

It's a good idea to get a handle on just want you want to be prepared for. Natural disaster? Unemployment? Economic collapse? And just how does each one of those things effect you? Your prepping will evolve as you learn more - your goals will change as you learn more. So plan as much as you can now, and know that you'll learn more and plan better as you go along.

BadgeBunny started a thread about learning something new each month - she's set up a schedule for herself for the entire year, specifying a new prepping skill for each month of 2011. What a great idea for new preppers! You might want to check out that thread for ideas (I'll see if I can find it and post a link).

Additionally, I think on this forum you will find people who are "preppers" and people who are "survivalists" (and people who are both). I mention this because you may find that you're not doing the same thing as some others, and that's okay. Your goals may be different. But you can learn from both, because the common trait of both preppers and survivalists is a self-reliant state of mind. And we can all learn from that!


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## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

Here's BadgeBunny's thread: http://www.preparedsociety.com/forum/f35/12-months-12-new-things-learn-5007/


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## nj_m715 (Oct 31, 2008)

I don't look at it as prepping for a specific event. Being ready is being ready, be it a snow storm, power failure, chemical spill, food disruption, trucking strike, mutant flu outbreak, it doesn't really matter.


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## ImNotCrazyRU (Oct 18, 2011)

*Greetings!*

I'm new to the forum but my wife and I have been prepping for about a year now. I believe you will see your forum grow quickly as we head into next summer and the election. I firmly believe that what's happening in Greece is coming our way next year.

I live near Madison Wisconsin and the protests that made national news last February raised my urgency level considerably. We are too close to ground zero in that regard.

We are building up our food storage and working on our bug out plan. Has anyone discussed the use of motor homes for a bug out vehicle? There are some pretty cheap older class C motor homes available with low mileage. I know the gas mileage is not the greatest but you have a solid roof over your head with heat, bathroom, kitchen, generator, etc.


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## VOICEOFSAM (Mar 12, 2011)

Turner, From what I've read, these people are giving you some good advice. So here's my 2 cents worth, USE SOME COMMON SENSE. What works for me will not work in your situation. So keep a clear head and a open mind.
I know a person that bought spam and toilet paper in bulk for Y2K. They are still using out of the cases of toilet paper. I hope this made my point.
Remember hope for the best and prepare for the worst!


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## ONEOLDCHIEF (Jan 5, 2012)

popandnan said:


> Hi, my husband and I are new to this, too. We are taking it one day at a time, reading and learning. Good to have you..............


Welcome, happy to see folks from the Grand ole state of MS, my home... Live in NW Fl now... You will find great advice here, but watch out for the politics, there are some who can get upset... LOL:sssh:

Be careful you can easily become like my wife and I, staying up all hours of the night reading post...


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## CrackbottomLouis (May 20, 2012)

Welcome to the spot. Its great you have a family to do all this with. Its always fun to learn with others. I try and leep my prepping simple. Food, water, security, skills, meds, and toilet paper. Not ranked in order of importance. You can learn a lot here from folks that actually know what theyre talking about. Dont forget the skills part. Take up some fun hobbies like target shooting, fishing, hiking with the fam. The fringe benefit of prepping is that gathering useful skill sets is just a helluva lot of fun.


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## ChicoDaMan (Nov 6, 2012)

NavyKen said:


> I'll say it again NOT go into debt (Ie buy stores on credit) building your stores. If the economy does collapse debt is death.


I've been wondering why I've seen a lot of posts saying to 1) not go into debt and 2) get debt free ASAP.

Why is that. In an economic collapse, won't it all wash away? I also ask d/t my credit being bad and for the last 5 yrs my wife and I have been using cash based on Dave Ramsey's FPU plan.


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## GrinnanBarrett (Aug 31, 2012)

GoshenGirl is correct in that you will meet all sorts of folks on the forums. Some will be helpful and some just like to be on a written form of talk radio. Look for people with your value systems. Gather as much knowledge as you can. Keep PRINTED materials for your library. Stuff on computer does not do well when the power goes off. 

When people tell you to keep on a budget it is to help you from burning out. That is one thing that can kill a new prepper. You will hit the wall at some point. You will be overcome by the task or by people putting you down for getting prepared. Use those close to you here as a support group bit is okay to be a Prepper. Best wishes. GB


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## Bobbb (Jan 7, 2012)

ChicoDaMan said:


> I've been wondering why I've seen a lot of posts saying to 1) not go into debt and 2) get debt free ASAP.
> 
> Why is that. In an economic collapse, won't it all wash away? I also ask d/t my credit being bad and for the last 5 yrs my wife and I have been using cash based on Dave Ramsey's FPU plan.


It's not like there is an instruction manual for economic collapse, so how the legal system will deal with debt issues is an open question. A debt creates a legal cloud over you thus hindering your freedom of action. A court attaching your wages, honoring a lien on your car/house, seizing your car/house, or going after your investments or property is a hassle that you don't need to deal with as the stability of society is crumbling around you. If I had to get booted from my house and I could choose the time of the foreclosure, I'd choose it when my relatives were in a stable place in their lives, when jobs were plenty, etc rather than when all the pillars of society are crashing around me, when I just got fired from my job, when my relatives are turning to me because I'm still in a better position than them, etc.

There is the other side of the debate though and it goes like this - borrow today, buy assets today, wait for inflation to kick in and repay the loans with future inflated dollars which are valued less, that is, let inflation help you stiff your creditors.

The first route gives you the most freedom of movement - none of your decisions have to account for being answerable to a court or creditors. The latter route gives you opportunity to enrich yourself if everything breaks your way and you also don't mind having less freedom of choice.


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## tugboats (Feb 15, 2009)

Turner said:


> Hello everyone! My wife and I have recently made the decision to start prepping, due to the way things are going. Any advice? We are setting up Bug-Out bags and Everyday carry bags for ourselves and our son, we are also looking for a BOL in Nebraska or Kansas, anybody out there? We look forward to learning and getting to know you all
> 
> Thank you


Welcome to the forum.

This is going to start a firestorm but here goes.

Bug out Bags: What is the reason you are bugging out? Where are you bugging out to? How long do you intend to "Bug Out"? When do you intend to unBug out? What are the climatic conditions that you intend to experience? What is your fitness level? How many do you have to care for? The list goes on.

For me (and only for my situation) bugging out is one of the last options I want to do. We have three elderly people that are in our home and two of them rely on medical equipment to sustain themselves. My wife is undergoing her third round of chemo treatments and her long term survival in a bug out would be marginal at best. This being said, we do have a contingency plan to bug out if there is a major contamination, flood or another natural calamity beset us. My initial plan is to Bug In.

My major concern (again, my scenario) is to be able to get back home in any kind of event. My routine travels keep me in a 17 mile radius of home. The primary focus of my plan is practicing to get my arse back home in a timely manner in as many events that are probable in my area.

The biggest problem (waste of money) that I have experienced in my disaster planning has been reliance on gadgets rather than knowledge. Education and knowledge are free. Nobody can take knowledge away from you. Do not go into debt for gadgets and Gilhooleies. Learn, learn and learn. You do not need a $300 tent, tarp or thing-a-ma-jig. For a little more "base weight" you can carry a $6 tarp and have the same level of protection.

If you could learn from my mistakes you would be the smartest SOB on earth. A $120 hatchet does not chop would that much faster than a $20 Estwing hatchet. Take the saved $100 bucks and apply that to additional preps. My kids gave me a very expensive titanium cook set for Fathers day. It works fine and is 9 ounces lighter than my old cookset. My old cookset was free (recycled tin cans) and had greater capabilities and did not scorch when being used.

An extremely expensive "Bush" knife is great. I sometimes want one. I am envious of those fancy gizmos. My 1960's era issue K-Bar still works in any task that I have put it to. Is the K-Bar the ideal 'bush knife"? Heck no. Does it do the job I need it to? With some limitations YES. In my situation, and my situation only, I can not justify the bucks to replace it. I will take the $100-$200 saved by not replacing it and apply the bucks to better clothing or shelter.

Pre made foods are another expensive way to stock up. We have learned to shop for bulk foods and make up our own meals for camping and quick meals for home. We have a couple of books on making meals in a jar with just our preps. Some of thewse we put up in canning jars and others we put up in vacuum bags for our Get Home Bags and camping supplies. We have several options of short term places to go and have several weeks of food stuffs in those locations (I have 4 daughters from my first wife) within 20 miles of our home. Storage of these preps is interest on the loan of my time spent remodeling their homes.

Being prepared for most events is a very rewarding exercise. The self satisfaction that comes from knowing that your family is as safe as you can make them makes me feel "real right goodly". We have water purifacation equipment, the ability to cook, provisions for shelter and spare clothes at most locations. These provisions are not vast but are adequate for the short term. I have picked up winter gear at thrift shops (not stylish but practical) and stashed these in RubberMaid tubs (imagine plaid pants with a paisley jacket) but we will stay warm.

All of this long worded reply is to say; Learn, study, save and "act"....do not "react". Take a deep breath and think prior to acting. A more deliberate approach to prepping will manifest itself in a more harmonious outcome.

Again, welcome to the forum. There are many well informed people here. Read and take to heart all that they say and then figure out what will work for you and your situation.

Tugs


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## Bobbb (Jan 7, 2012)

WTH did this thread get resurrected? I've been watching it for a few days and wondering if anyone has noticed that this intro was written back in 2010 and the last activity date for this person was July 2011.


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## GrinnanBarrett (Aug 31, 2012)

I was guilty. Did not notice his date on my phone. Need to use my computer where I can see a lot better. My bad. GB


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## rynophiliac (Nov 19, 2012)

Start with a basic 72 hour kit then expand from there. I know many people who have had to leave their homes for several days due to flood, fire, etc. A 72 hour kit is essential item to start with.


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