ak474u
02-25-2012, 07:39 PM
This is just a string of thoughts I put in-writing today, when thinking of how "Preppers" are viewed, and how we can influence the opinions of others and maybe even save their lives, or our own, by preparing for more likely scenarios, and being an example.
Lately, I've had lots of conversations with people about being prepared, and I've been thinking a lot about how to "Legitimize"
preparedness to people who currently don't prepare for much. This won't be anything earth shattering, but I think it may help someone
talk to others about being prepared, so we don't have to prepare for them to lean on us in a time of need.
Lots of my personal philosophy on preparedness is influenced by my environment, my career field, my hobbies, and the fact that I'm a
news hound. I see examples of people who beat the odds, and survived X encounter by adapting, and overcoming, or through shear tenacity. Preparedness is a no-brainer for me, I know others who feel like something is afoot in our country, like I do, but have no idea
how to justify the monthly outgo of cash to better prepare to a significant other etc.
So here goes:
I said "Legitimizing" preparedness, because it seems like although being prepared for at least local disaster SHTF, or family SHTF
would be an accepted thing, but try getting to the Home Depot 10 minutes after they open on the morning after Fox News announces
the Cat 4 hurricane is headed your way, and try to get a genny, or plywood, and you figure out really fast that being ready for
anything short of cutting one's finger slicing veggies while making dinner, and having band-aids in the kitchen drawer is
a foreign way of thinking for most people. People KNOW what to do, they just don't do it, which eventually affects them negatively.
Everyone seems to relate "prepping" to Mad Max, motorcylces and mohawks type situations that are not going to happen, at least at
first in a SHTF, instead of what happens if the power goes out for 2 weeks and its 20* outisde? Preppers including me, have
brought the stereotype on ourselves, and in the past, I've been guilty of perpetuating it, because I've always been known as a
gun-guy, and nobody knows me as the "year's worth of food guy" (I prefer it that way so no biggie). Having one's eyes open to
the possibilty of EMP, or TEOTWAWKI is absolutely okay for a prepper to be prepared for, but if you run out of water in the first
12 hours of a disaster, and you die, you won't get to play Mad Max with all the MZBs. I feel like whipping on family members to be
prepared, is a waste of time, if WE are not an example, or a "shining city on a hill" type of example for those around us, rather than
being the guy who the neighbors think is a nutbag, or some kinda "crazy veteran waiting for WW3 so he can kill people again"
Doomsday Preppers, has perpetuated the stereotype quite a bit, even though it's semi-fun to watch. If not for the review of
the prepper's gear at the end of each featured group, it would be a complete disaster IMHO. We, as preppers have an opportunity
to make a SHTF go way easier, if we can be an EXAMPLE of WHAT to do, and not a stereotype "crazy survivalist with 50k lbs. food,
and a yard that looks like Sanford & Son because of all the crap we surround ourselves with in the name of preparedness.
Where my ideas on preparedness come from, and how I try to influence others thru examples of my personal preparedness:
I spend a lot of time driving, with nothing else to do, but observe, so lots of my opinions are formulated thru what I see
in an average day on the road, in different environments from multi-family section 8 apartment homes, to 4+ Million dollar neighborhoods,
to Middle Class McMansion neighborhoods. I see examples of lack of preparedness, or organization in all of these people's lives to varying degrees.
What happens if:
Ever driven down the road, and seen an able bodied male walking away from a car with a flat tire to a gas station? Where is his spare tire? Is it inflated? Why Not? This is a form of preparedness, if he gets killed walking down the highway to get help, I assure you, it'll be SHTF for his family. If he loses his job because he didn't make it in that day, he has a financial SHTF to survive. 5 minutes of preparedness avoids a SHTF. Prepare
I see enitre families sitting in their car on the side of the busy highway with the hood up, waiting for help to arrive, What if... A drunk or texting driver veers off the road at the right moment and kills them all, or even just the parents? This can literally change the future of the children, both because they lost their providers, and because their child abuser uncle might get custody of them.. Talk about TEOTWAWKI, If you are in a dangerous situation like this, have you considered the consequemces of keeping your family nearby? If they could have just gotten out of the car, and walked to the gas station, out of the path of 3200 lbs. of drunk driver operated killing machine, lives wouldn't be changed permanently, or even lost.
What if your microwave catches fire while cooking up some tasty hot dogs, and burns your house down because you didn't have a fire extinguisher, or you panic and run outside to wait for help? Lack or preparedness, and lack of ACTION just cost you a house, and your prized
belongings. A $10 fire extinguisher costs lots less than rebuilding your life. The second way to illustrate this is: What if the FD
was snowed in, and never showed up? Prepare
What if you take a "shortcut" that turns out to be a long-cut in the wilderness, and you get stuck miles from help? We've all heard the stories. Do you have a way to fix the car? do you have a means of building a fire? do you have the knowledge to survive until help comes? Is there a ski lodge 1/2 mile up the road that you could save your life, and your family's lives by walking to before freezing temps cause you to be a popsicle found in the spring? Nobody said you should pull a trailer with gear for every eventuality everywhere you go, but how about a lighter, warm coats, a flashlight, a map, and a blanket? Prepare
What if your wife stops breathing? Do you know CPR? do you have a cell phone, and know where you are to call for help? OR do you have to run to the neighbor's house to call for help, while the critical moments pass without oxygen to her brain, causing permanent damage, and a true long-term SHTF for her, and the family, THIS IS TEOTWAWKI. You don't need to take a class in basic life-saving, it's on the Internet. Prepare
What if a grass fire is burning toward your home? Do you have hoses that will reach far enough to defend the structure from catching fire? AND if you're on municipal water, is the draw on the water system by the FD, and your neighbors providing you with enough water pressure to help defend the property? If not, do you have a dead yard, and combustible materials near the home's siding that will catch fire? This is SHTF, I guess not spending that extra money on Concrete siding, instead buying vinyl, and moving the wood pile up next to the house last winter was a bad idea. Welcome to SHTF because you didn't prepare. Prepare
If you've just made a quick stop at Habib's mini-mart after working late, at the corner of Crime Spree and Urine Streets, for a six pack on
the way home, and a a guy with a "Born to lose" tattoo comes in to rob the place. What happens if you left your gun in the car because it was too bulky, or you were just gonna be in there for a second, and nothing could possibly happen? Maybe nothing happens, and you survive, and maybe this dude kills Habib, his pregnant wife, and you because "he aint goin back to prison" I'm not saying you should "Dirty Harry" the guy, but have a means of defense, as well as the mindset to act. Prepare
This kinda goes along with the Magic Gun post I saw, which also triggers thoughts of my neighbors. Your neighbors have guns, they may have more than you, OR, they may have just one or two. They may hunt ducks once a year, and have a nice second hand pump gun, and a box o' birdshot with no thought of self defense use. Do they have any idea whether Grand dad's .22 still works? Have they fired it? do they know where the bullets go? and do they have any ammo? My grandfather's c. 1902 Colt 38, marked US Army, complete with lanyard loop, was loaded in his nightstand for 40 years. Upon his death, we removed it from the house because my Grandma was in the early stages of Alzheimers, and we didn't want her to shoot us, or the home health lady in a lapse of judgment due to the illness. Guess what? My grandfather was Army in WWII, and had been a shooter all his life, when fully cocked, I can spin the cylinder, which first, tells me that it has a lockup issue, and upon further inspection, the chambers aren't lining up with the barrel... THANK GOD he never tried to defend himself with it! The ammo that was in it, looked like it had been underwater, the lead roundnoses, were crumbly grey, and nasty. Same story with the old Savage 22 he had in the closet, ancient ammo. If you find out that the neighbor has an old rifle that grandpappy left him, invite him shooting! With OPSEC in mind, don't take your super special, 10" suppressed, select-fire, customized AR with $3K tactical glass on it, with a chest rig of ammo to this shoot, take a regular old pistol, and ammo, or your grand dad's rifle. Help him become proficient, tell him where and why to get ammo, open his eyes to local events like crime in the neighborhood. You may just open someone's eyes, and find a neighbor who
"has your back." Influence people positively with your example. Prepare
In closing, to me, prepping, is being prepared for tomorrow's flat tire, and keeping in mind, that next week may be TEOTWAWKI. If you make preparations for Murphy moving in to the guest bedroom, and staying, you'll be prepared for TEOTWAWKI, or at least major SHTF. Truth be told, MOST of us, will experience a personal SHTF, that affects us to the point that TEOTWAWKI would be a much more comfortable alternative, way before we experience actual Mad max TEOTWAWKI, whether it be falling off a ladder, or a family member dropping dead in front of us at Thanksgiving dinner. What will we do, when the best laid plans don't survive first contact? We'll all be surprise by
life at some point, and we cannot prepare for everything, but Preparing for Super House-to-House SHTF Civil War/Unrest Fighting With TPTB, without considering what happens to your family if there's a record snowstorm next winter resulting in your death because you moved the BBQ grill inside for warmth, and everybody dies of C.O. poisoning, it won't matter how much ammo you have.
I don't expect a great deal of disagreement with this thread, but I'd love to hear examples of how the members are working to change, or prepare others to be a valuable resource, or self-sufficient in a SHTF. I can't cover the WHAT IFS totally, but I think considering CAUSE AND EFFECT, when going thru our daily lives can be what saves us.
AK
Lately, I've had lots of conversations with people about being prepared, and I've been thinking a lot about how to "Legitimize"
preparedness to people who currently don't prepare for much. This won't be anything earth shattering, but I think it may help someone
talk to others about being prepared, so we don't have to prepare for them to lean on us in a time of need.
Lots of my personal philosophy on preparedness is influenced by my environment, my career field, my hobbies, and the fact that I'm a
news hound. I see examples of people who beat the odds, and survived X encounter by adapting, and overcoming, or through shear tenacity. Preparedness is a no-brainer for me, I know others who feel like something is afoot in our country, like I do, but have no idea
how to justify the monthly outgo of cash to better prepare to a significant other etc.
So here goes:
I said "Legitimizing" preparedness, because it seems like although being prepared for at least local disaster SHTF, or family SHTF
would be an accepted thing, but try getting to the Home Depot 10 minutes after they open on the morning after Fox News announces
the Cat 4 hurricane is headed your way, and try to get a genny, or plywood, and you figure out really fast that being ready for
anything short of cutting one's finger slicing veggies while making dinner, and having band-aids in the kitchen drawer is
a foreign way of thinking for most people. People KNOW what to do, they just don't do it, which eventually affects them negatively.
Everyone seems to relate "prepping" to Mad Max, motorcylces and mohawks type situations that are not going to happen, at least at
first in a SHTF, instead of what happens if the power goes out for 2 weeks and its 20* outisde? Preppers including me, have
brought the stereotype on ourselves, and in the past, I've been guilty of perpetuating it, because I've always been known as a
gun-guy, and nobody knows me as the "year's worth of food guy" (I prefer it that way so no biggie). Having one's eyes open to
the possibilty of EMP, or TEOTWAWKI is absolutely okay for a prepper to be prepared for, but if you run out of water in the first
12 hours of a disaster, and you die, you won't get to play Mad Max with all the MZBs. I feel like whipping on family members to be
prepared, is a waste of time, if WE are not an example, or a "shining city on a hill" type of example for those around us, rather than
being the guy who the neighbors think is a nutbag, or some kinda "crazy veteran waiting for WW3 so he can kill people again"
Doomsday Preppers, has perpetuated the stereotype quite a bit, even though it's semi-fun to watch. If not for the review of
the prepper's gear at the end of each featured group, it would be a complete disaster IMHO. We, as preppers have an opportunity
to make a SHTF go way easier, if we can be an EXAMPLE of WHAT to do, and not a stereotype "crazy survivalist with 50k lbs. food,
and a yard that looks like Sanford & Son because of all the crap we surround ourselves with in the name of preparedness.
Where my ideas on preparedness come from, and how I try to influence others thru examples of my personal preparedness:
I spend a lot of time driving, with nothing else to do, but observe, so lots of my opinions are formulated thru what I see
in an average day on the road, in different environments from multi-family section 8 apartment homes, to 4+ Million dollar neighborhoods,
to Middle Class McMansion neighborhoods. I see examples of lack of preparedness, or organization in all of these people's lives to varying degrees.
What happens if:
Ever driven down the road, and seen an able bodied male walking away from a car with a flat tire to a gas station? Where is his spare tire? Is it inflated? Why Not? This is a form of preparedness, if he gets killed walking down the highway to get help, I assure you, it'll be SHTF for his family. If he loses his job because he didn't make it in that day, he has a financial SHTF to survive. 5 minutes of preparedness avoids a SHTF. Prepare
I see enitre families sitting in their car on the side of the busy highway with the hood up, waiting for help to arrive, What if... A drunk or texting driver veers off the road at the right moment and kills them all, or even just the parents? This can literally change the future of the children, both because they lost their providers, and because their child abuser uncle might get custody of them.. Talk about TEOTWAWKI, If you are in a dangerous situation like this, have you considered the consequemces of keeping your family nearby? If they could have just gotten out of the car, and walked to the gas station, out of the path of 3200 lbs. of drunk driver operated killing machine, lives wouldn't be changed permanently, or even lost.
What if your microwave catches fire while cooking up some tasty hot dogs, and burns your house down because you didn't have a fire extinguisher, or you panic and run outside to wait for help? Lack or preparedness, and lack of ACTION just cost you a house, and your prized
belongings. A $10 fire extinguisher costs lots less than rebuilding your life. The second way to illustrate this is: What if the FD
was snowed in, and never showed up? Prepare
What if you take a "shortcut" that turns out to be a long-cut in the wilderness, and you get stuck miles from help? We've all heard the stories. Do you have a way to fix the car? do you have a means of building a fire? do you have the knowledge to survive until help comes? Is there a ski lodge 1/2 mile up the road that you could save your life, and your family's lives by walking to before freezing temps cause you to be a popsicle found in the spring? Nobody said you should pull a trailer with gear for every eventuality everywhere you go, but how about a lighter, warm coats, a flashlight, a map, and a blanket? Prepare
What if your wife stops breathing? Do you know CPR? do you have a cell phone, and know where you are to call for help? OR do you have to run to the neighbor's house to call for help, while the critical moments pass without oxygen to her brain, causing permanent damage, and a true long-term SHTF for her, and the family, THIS IS TEOTWAWKI. You don't need to take a class in basic life-saving, it's on the Internet. Prepare
What if a grass fire is burning toward your home? Do you have hoses that will reach far enough to defend the structure from catching fire? AND if you're on municipal water, is the draw on the water system by the FD, and your neighbors providing you with enough water pressure to help defend the property? If not, do you have a dead yard, and combustible materials near the home's siding that will catch fire? This is SHTF, I guess not spending that extra money on Concrete siding, instead buying vinyl, and moving the wood pile up next to the house last winter was a bad idea. Welcome to SHTF because you didn't prepare. Prepare
If you've just made a quick stop at Habib's mini-mart after working late, at the corner of Crime Spree and Urine Streets, for a six pack on
the way home, and a a guy with a "Born to lose" tattoo comes in to rob the place. What happens if you left your gun in the car because it was too bulky, or you were just gonna be in there for a second, and nothing could possibly happen? Maybe nothing happens, and you survive, and maybe this dude kills Habib, his pregnant wife, and you because "he aint goin back to prison" I'm not saying you should "Dirty Harry" the guy, but have a means of defense, as well as the mindset to act. Prepare
This kinda goes along with the Magic Gun post I saw, which also triggers thoughts of my neighbors. Your neighbors have guns, they may have more than you, OR, they may have just one or two. They may hunt ducks once a year, and have a nice second hand pump gun, and a box o' birdshot with no thought of self defense use. Do they have any idea whether Grand dad's .22 still works? Have they fired it? do they know where the bullets go? and do they have any ammo? My grandfather's c. 1902 Colt 38, marked US Army, complete with lanyard loop, was loaded in his nightstand for 40 years. Upon his death, we removed it from the house because my Grandma was in the early stages of Alzheimers, and we didn't want her to shoot us, or the home health lady in a lapse of judgment due to the illness. Guess what? My grandfather was Army in WWII, and had been a shooter all his life, when fully cocked, I can spin the cylinder, which first, tells me that it has a lockup issue, and upon further inspection, the chambers aren't lining up with the barrel... THANK GOD he never tried to defend himself with it! The ammo that was in it, looked like it had been underwater, the lead roundnoses, were crumbly grey, and nasty. Same story with the old Savage 22 he had in the closet, ancient ammo. If you find out that the neighbor has an old rifle that grandpappy left him, invite him shooting! With OPSEC in mind, don't take your super special, 10" suppressed, select-fire, customized AR with $3K tactical glass on it, with a chest rig of ammo to this shoot, take a regular old pistol, and ammo, or your grand dad's rifle. Help him become proficient, tell him where and why to get ammo, open his eyes to local events like crime in the neighborhood. You may just open someone's eyes, and find a neighbor who
"has your back." Influence people positively with your example. Prepare
In closing, to me, prepping, is being prepared for tomorrow's flat tire, and keeping in mind, that next week may be TEOTWAWKI. If you make preparations for Murphy moving in to the guest bedroom, and staying, you'll be prepared for TEOTWAWKI, or at least major SHTF. Truth be told, MOST of us, will experience a personal SHTF, that affects us to the point that TEOTWAWKI would be a much more comfortable alternative, way before we experience actual Mad max TEOTWAWKI, whether it be falling off a ladder, or a family member dropping dead in front of us at Thanksgiving dinner. What will we do, when the best laid plans don't survive first contact? We'll all be surprise by
life at some point, and we cannot prepare for everything, but Preparing for Super House-to-House SHTF Civil War/Unrest Fighting With TPTB, without considering what happens to your family if there's a record snowstorm next winter resulting in your death because you moved the BBQ grill inside for warmth, and everybody dies of C.O. poisoning, it won't matter how much ammo you have.
I don't expect a great deal of disagreement with this thread, but I'd love to hear examples of how the members are working to change, or prepare others to be a valuable resource, or self-sufficient in a SHTF. I can't cover the WHAT IFS totally, but I think considering CAUSE AND EFFECT, when going thru our daily lives can be what saves us.
AK