Brand new and want to know where to start

[nepreneaux]

New to the site, my real name is Mike. I looked at several and settled on this one because the posts are not from 2006. So this is my current situation. 4 bedroom 2600 sq ft house on 35 acre farm. We bought it in April, the old couple had it up for sale for a year. They sold off all the livestock, but I got a 1 acre pre plowed garden. Large barn, completely fenced, land is located across the street from powerplant lake on one side, and a city lake on the other. I have both community water and a well. A stocked one acre tank, that's pond to anyone outside Texas. 80 hp IH tractor with a few implements. I am a cop with about 4 years to retirement, so got weapons, and the old lady is a nurse about 10 years away from retirement. Got horses, goats, chickens, heirloom seeds, 2 trucks, 1 car, 1 harley, 1 boat, did I mention lakes?, and a Polaris Ranger 4x4. I have completely lost faith in the people running shit. What is my next move? Oh and thanks in advance for the help.

[RedJohn]

First welcome here and second stop making me drool. Your setting sounds like a dream come true.

[Fatty]

Mike, how dare you come on this sight and instantly create this level of jealousy!

Btw, welcome and happy to have you!

Since it sounds like you have all the expensive stuff sorted... All you have to really worry about is more beans, bullets, and batteries. Maybe an assortment of medications?

[RedJohn]

I think you need to make a list. What do I have. What do I need. And look at the difference. You seem like you have a lot already. A lot of ground covered.

Without out going to dig too far right now, unless you want to work the farm (tough job) you need to complete you non-meat preps (you seem to have the meat already, think about rabbit and chickens). You already have the guns and ammo for protection and hunting.

Also, and the most important for me is power. You need a plant for no electricity. Wood stove, wood heater, etc. How would you par if the power goes down tomorrow?

I think that this is a good start, well for you, because you're ahead of most of us.

[Gunfixr]

Sounds like you got the hardest part done. The location in which to stay safe is usually the single hardest piece. How safe you are will be largely determined by just how far you are from any serious civilization. I don't want or need to know, just something for you to think about.
That said, it's all needs, and then wants. Sold off the livestock? Not sure, but might have been good to have some pigs and/or cows, if you guys are up to it. However, looks like you'll have meats with what you got now. I'd get the garden started, since they take time to get really running. I got a friend similar minded who's taken up serious survival gardening, and it's been a learning experience for them. You'd want to get into canning as well. You have water, you want to have a way to get the water from the well without electricity, or at least a self-renewable electrical source, like batteries and solar, or wind, etc.
Set your priorities. Stock up on food, ammo, clothing, personal items like soap, tp, tools, etc. If you use it now, will you use it then? Get some extras, 2 is 1 and 1 is none. Medications, as mentioned. It wouldn't bad if your wife doesn't already know, is to expand her knowledge past just nursing, like emergency surgery. It would also be good for her to tech you some of this knowledge, as if she gets hurt, you can help her. If she can't shoot, she should learn. Look into maybe off-grid power, or living comfortably without power. Ideally, you want to be able to live without power, because even if you are charging batteries with wind or solar, the batteries will eventually go bad.
The main thing is sit down, the both of you, and list what you need, on a day-to-day as well as weekly, monthly, etc. basis. Then, establish how you get these things now, and how would you or could you get them post-shtf, or could you substitute or do without. Once the list has been weeded down, you know what you need, you can then figure out the priorities of the list. Then fill it. Unless you won the lottery, you can't fill it in one swoop, just get a little at a time.
Hope this helps.

[GunnerMax]

You say you have a stocked 1 acre pond, but think about food, anti-fungas/growth chemicals, extra nets/fishing gear, and the like for your pond.

[bacpacker]

Welcome to the forum. Sounds like you all are off to a good start with property and other things.

The first thing i would suggest would be to sit down and make out some lists. 1st one would be for possible senarios in your area ( hurricane, earthquake, rail lines/derailment, nuc plant emergency, economic collapse). This will aid you in deciding what to plan for.

2nd list would be a inventory broken down by catagory (food, equipment, weapons, medical). That will give you an idea of where you need to be spending on.

[nepreneaux]

I was thinking of making some needed stuff. Cordura interests me as I have had Kydex crumble in use once on a holster when a kid tried to take my gun and once on a knife sheath while camping. Kydex is a great liner for sheaths enclosed by 1000d. I am thinking sewing machine. Would love underground safe room away from the house but that is in the planning stage. BTW do any of you know anything about hiding a fire at night like a camp fire that does not give you away? My fear is roving bands of assholes who want the easy way out by taking yours when they did not prepare, because Grand Theft Auto 4 was on sale. I am about 15 miles out from Waco toward Mart, so I am out in the woods enough.

[GunnerMax]

About cordua, I am going to work with it in about 6 months. I hope to have good savings making molle gear vs buying it. Some of the guys on here are pretty good at making kydex. Maybe you were flawed in making it? I cannot be sure, because I don't have any kydex gear

[Dropy]

Hi, welcome.