Read This First Before You Decide That Preppers Are Crazy

[Equilibrium]

I think he's probably a little afraid of everything going on in our world and he's a parent of younguns is all. He could be familiarizing himself with his property... just in case. I have no clue where the dude lives. If he's anywhere down by the border.... he could have good reason to be carrying. Who knows... who cares. They're out there.
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Do you eat rice or any beans? Those store pretty well. Just freeze em 1st and maybe put em in a storage container before you put em down in the cellar. If you wouldn't eat the canned soups and don't have any little kids running door to door asking for non-perishables for food pantries and soup lines that you could dump them on before they expired.... then don't buy them. Buy something you would eat. And a gallon of water is a great start.... what about connecting a rain barrel to 1 of your down spouts? That water could be used for your plants and for you.

[jack]

Originally Posted by Equilibrium

I think he's probably a little afraid of everything going on in our world and he's a parent of younguns is all. He could be familiarizing himself with his property... just in case. I have no clue where the dude lives. If he's anywhere down by the border.... he could have good reason to be carrying. Who knows... who cares. They're out there.
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Do you eat rice or any beans? Those store pretty well. Just freeze em 1st and maybe put em in a storage container before you put em down in the cellar. If you wouldn't eat the canned soups and don't have any little kids running door to door asking for non-perishables for food pantries and soup lines that you could dump them on before they expired.... then don't buy them. Buy something you would eat. And a gallon of water is a great start.... what about connecting a rain barrel to 1 of your down spouts? That water could be used for your plants and for you.

Sounds like work, Equil...

[Equilibrium]

OK.... buy the Amy's canned soups then. Something's better than nothing and all the neighborhood kids collecting for food drives will think you're the best if you don't ever have to use em!
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A rain barrel isn't a big deal. Go to a Jewish deli and ask if they would let you have 1 of their old pickle barrels. You can pick up barrels from Taco Bell usually too. Just prop it up... use a sawzall (sp?) to cut off the top and put screening over the top of it so skeeters can't breed in the water then cut off a chunk of your down spout and call it a day. You can do it.... I've got faith in you. Oh oh oh.... if you want.... add a spigot to the bottom of the barrel at bucket height. I learned how to add a spigot to my bokashi buckets and if I could do it.... I'm sure you could do it in your sleep.

[Doozerdoo]

Originally Posted by Equilibrium

I think he's probably a little afraid of everything going on in our world and he's a parent of younguns is all. He could be familiarizing himself with his property... just in case. I have no clue where the dude lives. If he's anywhere down by the border.... he could have good reason to be carrying. Who knows... who cares. They're out there.
--
Do you eat rice or any beans? Those store pretty well. Just freeze em 1st and maybe put em in a storage container before you put em down in the cellar. If you wouldn't eat the canned soups and don't have any little kids running door to door asking for non-perishables for food pantries and soup lines that you could dump them on before they expired.... then don't buy them. Buy something you would eat. And a gallon of water is a great start.... what about connecting a rain barrel to 1 of your down spouts? That water could be used for your plants and for you.

with whats going on right now, gangs raping and killing the elderly, and rushing stores and stealing, the mob mentality is getting worse and worse. and it does not hurt to stock up, its the fool who is not prepared for anything ,i do not plan to go all ablaze with my guns, but again, its my home, my kids and family Im protecting and heck yeah a gun or 5 will do me just fine. those in the cities do not have many options in growing foods and such, apartment living can get cramped for them. and with the poor, you better believe if things get bad ( and we do not see all that really is going on since we do not get the real news here in the USA any more ) your going to get folks that want what you have, and its not going to be one or 2 but lots of people. tting food and water away is what our parents did, for long winters, canning stocking up etc. common sense living. oh and I do not want people on my land, I want to know why there there and what there looking for.

[jack]

Originally Posted by Doozerdoo

with whats going on right now, gangs raping and killing the elderly, and rushing stores and stealing, the mob mentality is getting worse and worse. and it does not hurt to stock up, its the fool who is not prepared for anything ,i do not plan to go all ablaze with my guns, but again, its my home, my kids and family Im protecting and heck yeah a gun or 5 will do me just fine. those in the cities do not have many options in growing foods and such, apartment living can get cramped for them. and with the poor, you better believe if things get bad ( and we do not see all that really is going on since we do not get the real news here in the USA any more ) your going to get folks that want what you have, and its not going to be one or 2 but lots of people. tting food and water away is what our parents did, for long winters, canning stocking up etc. common sense living. oh and I do not want people on my land, I want to know why there there and what there looking for.

Doozer, you would enjoy reading THE ROAD by Cormac McCarthy. In it, a catastrophic event that is never identified causes an apocalypse and cannibalism is resorted to. Yes, weapons would help, and the willingness to use them a necessity. McCarthy would agree with you. Me? I'm aging and more dependent on civilization and its conveniences. Even if one has a garden here in MA, it's good for a low-cal diet that would be consumed before it spoiled. Yes, some things could be put in jars or a cold cellar, but enough to survive on???

BTW, in the story an unidentified family had built a bomb shelter with all the necessities one would need for an extended amount of time. Unfortunately, when the "event" occurred, they were not at home and obviously were never able to get back to it. All of their careful planning was for naught...

[BooBooBearBecky]

Catastrophe doesn't have to be global. Disasters happen in our personal lives as well. And having a well stocked pantry can go a long way.

For me it was a chunk of calcium in my heart!! Good Grief! No pain, no symptoms. Could not lift anything though (dr.'s orders), until 8 weeks after surgery. So for 3 months, lifting grocery bags was a no-no. I did just fine...my well stocked pantry came through with flying colors! Only had to buy eggs and milk for the last 3 months. I guess that means if I get some chickens and a minature goats, I'd be just fine for a good while! LOL!!!

Seriously though...I mainly prep for weather related events like tornado damage, and snow/ice storms. However, I don't discount the depressing economic news or the turmoil our world seems to be in right now.

I do own weapons for home security and personal protection.

[Doozerdoo]

Originally Posted by jack

Doozer, you would enjoy reading THE ROAD by Cormac McCarthy. In it, a catastrophic event that is never identified causes an apocalypse and cannibalism is resorted to. Yes, weapons would help, and the willingness to use them a necessity. McCarthy would agree with you. Me? I'm aging and more dependent on civilization and its conveniences. Even if one has a garden here in MA, it's good for a low-cal diet that would be consumed before it spoiled. Yes, some things could be put in jars or a cold cellar, but enough to survive on???

BTW, in the story an unidentified family had built a bomb shelter with all the necessities one would need for an extended amount of time. Unfortunately, when the "event" occurred, they were not at home and obviously were never able to get back to it. All of their careful planning was for naught...

I just saw the movie, I cried. and Jack,I do understand what you are saying, I feel the same way hon. Im getting up there, raising grand kids now and for the last ten years I have that mama bear mentality. my health problems, my body not wanting to cooperate it brings home the reality, you have babies ( 10, 12 and 17 year old ) you need to be prepared for any situation ! i awoke to what the heck is going on in the world, I saw when things happened food was not on the shelves, and I saw it take several days to get it back , but what happens if the gas stopped coming, or that food was so high I could not afford it ?? I see it now, I see that tuna a year ago here was 2 for a dollar, now its 1.59 and they made the cans smaller, everything has doubled and down sized. with it being just me working, and supporting these kids, i better be prepared to stock, and get anything that we may need in the future and store and be prepared. Im working on kerosene right now, being super cold here in winter, we would never suply if the heat went out. I do not have a fire place, and my land lord says no for getting one. i can not afford to move, I have lived here and under this rent price and if I leave rent will tripple else where. so with what I have gleened, and purchased I already have a year covered. in some erea's lol. i also have elderly all around me, I will feed and warm them, I will do as my God tells me, but Im not going to hide my head, its so hard now to see whats going on in the world. remember, look up the BBC news or news not here in the USA . they want us totally in the dark as far whats really going on. the news these days is all about the stars, fashion and so forth lol. if you can just put a few cans here and that away, and extra needs like toilet paper, meds etc. you can do fine.
being a diebetic, I have had to scramble to get meds for the year, and a place to put them where they will be good for that year. if power goes out Im sunk. Im looking on solar now for keeping meds cool. I have babies, or I do not think I would work as hard, its a daunting thing to make sure there going to fed and clothed and safe. being a single parent sucks during these times.

[Doozerdoo]

Originally Posted by BooBooBearBecky

Catastrophe doesn't have to be global. Disasters happen in our personal lives as well. And having a well stocked pantry can go a long way.

For me it was a chunk of calcium in my heart!! Good Grief! No pain, no symptoms. Could not lift anything though (dr.'s orders), until 8 weeks after surgery. So for 3 months, lifting grocery bags was a no-no. I did just fine...my well stocked pantry came through with flying colors! Only had to buy eggs and milk for the last 3 months. I guess that means if I get my some chickens and a minature goats, I'd be just fine for a good while! LOL!!!

Seriously though...I mainly prep for weather related events like tornado damage, and snow/ice storms. However, I don't discount the depressing economic news or the turmoil our world seems to be in right now.

I do own weapons for home security and personal protection.

your a smart cookie ! Same reasons here, but with the drastic cold, I am also working on heat, cooking and keeping insulins cold. so far doing well, 3 kinds of cooking , propane, coleman, and alchol stove. three kinds of fuels , but happy I got all three in case one or more does not work or breaks down. 2 kerosene heaters, for heat, propane heaters, working on the fuels now.

[Equilibrium]

jack and Doozer> do I REALLY need to see the movie 'The Road'>>>? That sounds like a depression session movie and if it made her cry.... it'd make me cry. There's so much going on that sometimes I just wanna go stick my whole head in a rabbit hole sometimes. I think I'm doing as much as I can do.
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4B> "For me it was a chunk of calcium in my heart!! Good Grief! No pain, no symptoms." You're like 1 lucky lady.... how'd they find it? Do you have any idea JUST how lucky you are>>>>? Talk about ALL of us having horseshoes up our rear that someone found that chunk or we'd be communicating with you up in heaven!!!
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This doesn't surprise me, "I do own weapons for home security and personal protection." You're always so on top of things. I've got friends going to appleseeds because they've got livestock and need a way to humanely destroy animals that get attacked by coyotes or hawks or... just have 1 foot in the door to heaven and they want to stop their suffering but.... not too many have anything for self defense. I've really got to go take 1 of those appleseeds... I'm just reading way too much in the local police blotter about home invasions going through the ceiling out my way and I've not been feeling all that great about it. Especially on my days off when there's nobody here but numbnuts and our new happy happy happy loves everybody Zoe.

[Equilibrium]

Had to run out and check on the new babies but... "Catastrophe doesn't have to be global. Disasters happen in our personal lives as well." That is so so so true!!! Just look what's happening over in Europe right now and then think about how many houses the cancer fairy visits and all the cars we're seeing in driveways during the daytime because unemployment's so high and that's not even considering how many of us don't have electricity we can count on always being restored within a day of it going out any more. After a while it gets old being called a doomsdayer.... I mean.... our parents and grandparents put food up for lean times and the Mormons have been doing it ever since there's been Mormons but all the sudden ordinary folk like me who want a lousy pantry and a wood burning stove for heat and some other things to get by are somehow extremists because we're "preppers">>>? My bet is the extremists prepping for everything under the sun are like less than a % of everyone out there's whose prepping so I wish the media would cut with the doomsdayer crap but then.... there's oodles of things I wish they'd cut with so they could give us all more of the real news like.... last year when the US went from AAA+ to AA+ and then just a coupla weeks ago when I found out from a Russian news source our credit rating was just downgraded again to AA.... not good.... dontcha think more of us would start putting a little something away for rainy days if we were given a clue things weren't exactly all sunshine and rainbows? Whatever. I went digging for an article I read recently that was somewhat more realistic about why most prep. I almost didn't read it because of title since all the folk with bunkers and body armor are in the minority. Glad I read it.... it was actually a really decent little article. It says prepping is going mainstream which I didn't know, Bunkers, Food, Armor: Disaster Prep Hits Mainstream | Pakalert Press, ‘Bunkers, Food, Armor: Disaster Prep Hits Mainstream’, “Putting things by”
— essential throughout most of humanity’s existence — was common in the United State up until advances in transportation logistics brought about the “just in time” shipping model. Suddenly, we could get almost any supplies delivered fresh and year-round to massive community stores. What our grandparents called “lean times” became a thing of the past for even the poorest Americans…The vast majority of preppers want to set aside shelf-stable foods. Many are looking for just several days or weeks worth of supplies to get them through “normal” seasonal disasters, such as hurricane season in the Southeast, the blizzards that hit in northern parts of the country, or the threat of tornadoes that extends across the Midwest and South. Brandon Garrett of The Ready Store sees customers across the country come to his company for 72-hour emergency kits, food storage items such as dehydrated or freeze-dried foods, and other emergency supplies…The media still demeans the more extreme preppers making bizarre preparations for what most people consider unrealistic scenarios — such as polar shifts or the Mayan apocalypse — but with the current global economic situation, the carnage of recent natural disasters, and the fragility of power grids, other scenarios are no laughing matter. “Putting things by” like our grandparents did is now regarded by many as a wise investment against uncertain times, and like any market, there are smart businesses willing to cater to this growth market.”