Specific Disaster in Mind?

[realist]

I too am looking at both the long term and short term events. I look at prepping as a way of life thanks in part to my upbringing. My mom and grandpa talked to me a lot about the depression. Then there was WWII, Korea, etc. I grew up during the Cold War so I was acclimatized the fact we might be fried at any moment. I read everything I could about preparing for whatever, thank you Mel Tappan. I was blessed to have a family who had access to very rural land, lots of land. During my high school summers I worked on a 14,000 acre cattle for two years and was educated about hunting and to the woods. College came and then my career, I continued to prepare, there were some ups and downs but I continued. During a recent inventory I came across some canned freeze dried food which is about 35+ years old (it get tried this summer). It was so easy to prep being single, then the wife came along and kids. Kids are like puppies you get attached to them and they do some bad stuff. When they get big you can’t give them away, which was good for me. Although my better half tolerates my prepping I think the kids too will be preppers. I have passed along as much as I can and we now learn together. When we are together we are a team with mom tagging along picking up the pieces.

I have gone through the Cold War period to Survivalist period and now we are in the Prepper period, nothing has changed except the name. Living on the Left coast may suck but the weather is good. That said even the lowest moron is aware we have earthquakes and should prepare for the “Big One”. Buttttttttttttt they have better things to do……. So first things first I prepare for the potential of an earthquake. During the 1906 earthquake San Francisco was destroyed more by fire than the quake. Where I live the town was a parking lot, no fire. I do not keep all my eggs in the same basket.

A while back I came across an interesting article about something called the “Carrington Effect”. Then I started studying more and more which in turn lead to the EMPs and I got more concerned. Last year we missed getting hit by a major CME which even the government geeks admitted we would have been FUBARed if it had not missed. A life without electricity would be devastating so I’m trying to prepare but it is a daunting task, but not insurmountable.

Also the financial collapse is a small potential, I look at more toward deep recessions. I figured this last “Great Recession” was a big test. During it everyone was afraid of using the “D” word. Well I think when it is dissected they will see it was similar to the Great Depression. History will repeat itself in this area and I am prepared. We are secure but it could always be better.

Lastly, fire is a big thing. At home here I am not worried we have a great defensible space around the property. Although the other place we have fire is a definite concern. It is in a heavily wooded area which is prone to forest fires. We had one last year and it burned about 40 square miles last year the ridge over. Although I can’t really protect the buildings in trees the next place we build will be out in a meadow which will be more defensible. The nice thing about being at the end of the road is no one comes down here. The bad thing in a fire there is only one way out. So we will be making a place where we can retreat to in case of fire.

I used to commercially reload and sell guns, so I have a few and I am set in that area. We garden and I am looking to expanding to making it more of a farm than a garden. I have ranched in the past and I am not interested in horses but it is always in the back of my mind I should have some. I would love to have carriages. I would like to try draft horses to plow but I’m too old to start. Working the ranch I learned to make custom shoes for the horses. I am looking at increasing my Ferrer skills to blacksmithing skills. Having grown up with both my parents being doctors and being an EMT I have pretty good medical skills. Probably my best skill is being able to teach others………….except my kids. I send them to someone else for that……..

Why am I preparing for such and such event? I like to read about history, not repeat it.

[Gunfixr]

I thought I did answer what I was preparing for. No, I did not provide a specific list.
Is that what you seek?

[jamesneuen]

Gunfixr, nothing in my posts was directed at anyone specifically. I am just saying what comes to mind as I read. Or were you referring to someone else's post?

[Gunfixr]

You said no one answered your question, and I thought I had. Or, perhaps I misunderstood it, in which case maybe I didn't.
I listed what our "expected emergencies" were, and the areas in which we were preparing, accordingly.
It's not a huge deal or anything, just thought I had answered, is all.

[jamesneuen]

I meant on the other posts. lol. My apologies, I was unclear on that one. I simply meant that most of us don't reply with what we are specifically planning for when we respond to questions and such on here. That was why I created this thread to remove any confusion about each person's point of view.

Such as the ideal budget SHTF weapon. I asked what you would be primarily using it for but didn't ask what your SHTF scenario in mind would be. I now think that was a large error on my part. For me, there is no hunting down here and everything is close range. Therefore I chose a pistol caliber carbine for personal defense. Others who live in different areas were less concerned with defense and more concerned with hunting versatility.

We may have each responded and justified it by saying we were focusing on specifics but if we each knew what the other persons concerns were, we might be more able to see things from their point of view.

[Gunfixr]

Oh, it's all good, no apology required. If I had missed it, I would try again.

I don't think I saw the SHTF gun thread.

But then, I have a few, for different purposes.

[jamesneuen]

I was just giving a for instance on if you were limited on time and only had a certain amount of money in your pocket, what gun would you snag and as much ammo for under a set amount. I think it was 800. Then you had to justify it.

ST went with a 12ga for all around hunting and such, I went with Hi-point 45cal carbine, there were a few others too. Then we got off on a tangent about 22 magnums.

[Gunfixr]

Ahh, i missed that one.

My internet time is intermittent anymore.

[Willie51]

1. do you prepare in small scale or plan to live it forever?
We plan for short term to long term events.
2. what are you preparing for the most (ie. financial collapse, nuclear war, rapture, civil war, winter ice storms,)
Because we live in hurricane land, we prepare for short term outages and damage (up to 7 to 14 days). So, we don't really worry about storms because we can leave town and go inland to a safe location.....been through it several times. The reason we prep for long term is because my biggest fear is a terrorist attack with a small nuke on the New York financial district or many small scale attacks on big cities across the U.S. at once. Or an attack on our grid (EMP by nuke) or cyber attacks. This would cause a chain reaction and have a disastrous affect across the country causing a financial and a society collapse which would last long term. And like someone already said, we are human and survival instincts are in us. I'm getting older now with 3 grandchildren and a new one on the way, and the event could outlast me, so I want my kids and grandkids to have a chance. I'm not an expert, just doing the best I can. If it's the Rapture, then there's a way to get ready for that and it doesn't matter about preps.
3. what are the most specific things that you think set you apart from others and their preps? (more emphasis on food, weapons, long term survival, underground living) Like I said, I'm no expert, I learn from you all every time I get on here. I don't think anything sets me and Songbird apart from any of you, but we are way ahead of the general population. I grew up on a small farm in Georgia raising our own meats (pork, beef, chicken) and raising our own veggies (large gardens). I hated it back then, but my parents taught me how to be self sufficient for the most part and many of this generation thinks that food grows at Publix, Kroger, or Piggly Wiggly....they have no clue of how to be self sufficient. I learned to shoot as a boy and grew up hunting, fishing, and fighting.
4. why are you preparing for your chosen event? (ie. justification based on facts, beliefs, old gypsy woman said so)
Why not prepare for any event? We don't want a fire or hurricane to destroy our home, but we buy insurance just in case. The world is in more danger now than anytime in history. I just don't see how we can continue at this pace without a SHTF event and I believe will happen in my lifetime. I hope not, but we prep anyway.

[realist]

Willie it is interesting how your priorities change as you get older. It was always me when I was younger and then the wife and then the children. Just about all my priorities are now my two kids. Getting them educated as much as possible to prepare them for anything. When I say education I mean not only academic but in prepping for whatever they decide is important to them and their future families. It is just like those who pass on their wealth, we have a different type of wealth we are passing on..........