Why Become A Prepper?

Becoming a prepper doesn't mean that you have to spend every penny you earn to build an underground shelter, have enough food to last five years or hoard an armory load of guns and ammo.  Most preppers don't have the money for all of these trappings, and if they did have more money they would refrain from spending it in that manner.

There are many reasons to become a prepper; most will fit into one of the following categories.

• Wanting to be self sufficient - Many people know they can't depend on the government or other people to take care of them in any situation.  Because of this they desire to become self sufficient.  Becoming a prepper is often a result of working towards attaining self sufficiency.
• Fear - Fear is a big motivating factor for convincing individuals to begin prepping. When a person lives through a situation that leaves them feeling helpless, it will often lead them to becoming a prepper.
• Religious reasons - Other people feel their religions guide them to become preppers.  Many believe that the act of becoming prepared for unforeseen circumstances is something God would have them do. 
• Caring about others - Believe it or not, some people actually begin their lives as preppers out of genuine concern for others.  These people feel that by prepping, they will be able to help others if and when the need arises. 

Whatever the motivating factor is for becoming a prepper, the reasons are legitimate in the eyes of the people who live this way.

A Fatal Decision

While on a recent fishing trip I watched as a butterfly landed atop the water.  Here this beautiful creature lay becoming saturated with water to the point of its inability to escape the situation.  I am no expert on butterflies, but I do know that they are unable to fly once their wings become saturated with water.  As I watched this deadly phenomenon unfold I wondered what would cause a butterfly to make  such a fatal decision?  I do not know.  Perhaps I witnessed this scene taking place to bring about an awareness that every decision we make has the potential to become fatal during a survival situation.

Butterfly Dead On The Water

Any time a decision arises, we must be careful to choose the right path.  Although we may get lucky from time to time, carelessly and haphazardly making a decision during an emergency situation can lead to dire consequences or even death.  Don't make a deadly decision like the butterfly.  Ensure that you have the best outcomes for any given situation by taking the time to think through the possible results of your impending actions.

-Prepare today, Survive tomorrow!

Choosing Your Bug Out Property

Many people want to know what to look for when selecting a bug out property.  In this post I will share some of the guidelines I use when helping someone understand how to select the right property for them.  There are many things to consider and many of them rank right up at the top when it comes to priorities.  The following list has been designed to help aid in the selection of a bug out property.  These items are in no particular order.

Water:

When selecting a property for the purpose of bugging out it is important to keep water in mind.  How will you supply your family or those who will be around you with fresh clean water.  A pond is a good source of water, but be sure that the pond will continue to hold water even during the driest periods of the year.  A spring fed pond is the best choice.  Properties which have springs are a great thing to look for.  If you are unable to find a full blown spring, another option is to find a property with a seep.  A seep can be worked into a wonderful water source.

Spring fed ponds offer a constant supply of water

Food:

A property selected for bugging out should be able to provide your group with a constant supply of food.  Are you planning to garden?  If so be sure that your chosen property has enough of a clearing to support a big enough garden to supply extra food for canning and preserving.  If it doesn't already have an open area, does the property you are looking at have enough space to clear cut a gardening area?  This is something to think about.  A property that produces or is capable of producing wild edibles is a great thing to look for.  Whether you are planning to hunt for food, raise your own food or a little of both, it is important to be sure that any properties considered are able to live up to the task.  This means that any activity you will be planning on doing must not be banned by restrictions in the area.  There are some areas that place restrictions on hunting, what type of animals are permitted and many other areas of concern.  Be sure that you do your research before purchasing a piece of land so that you are not hit with a big surprise after closing on it.  If a property has restrictions that will not allow you to live the life you want, pass it up.  There will always be other properties available and getting locked into a place that will not allow every activity that will be necessary in a survival situation is not something anyone wants to deal with.  There are those who feel that in a SHTF scenario none of these rules will apply and therefore they do not care about restrictions.  I however, feel that it is important to have your supply chain already established before such an emergency takes place and would not consider any place that will prevent this from happening.

Wild edibles are something to look for on a property being considered

Safety:

When the topic of safety comes up many people (especially newcomers to the prepping scene) don't understand how important this is.  Many people feel the government will step in and take care of everything, but those of us who have researched the possibilities know that this is highly unlikely.  When food stamps suddenly dry up and the store shelves are completely bare an every day average joe who wouldn't harm a fly will transform into a wandering marauder in search of any way to feed their family.  For this reason I suggest choosing a property that is well out of the way of any major city.  The general rule of thumb is that most people won't travel more than eight miles in search of food and other necessities.  I'm not one to rely on untested theories.  Because of this I tell anyone asking that the farther away from civilization the property is the more safety it provides.  You may also want to consider obtaining a piece of property that is at least partially wooded.  This will serve more than one purpose, but for safety's sake it will allow your bug out party a place to retreat to and cover to fight from if you do come into danger.  A property that offers bluffs and/or boulders in addition to a wooded area is even better.

Boulders will offer a form of cover and are excellent
when paired with woodlands

Heat/Fire:

Besides offering protection and security, purchasing a piece of property that offers some woodlands  will also provide a fire source.  This will ensure that you are able to cook your food as well as being able to heat your shelter.  For those who plan to use a solar cooking device, I say having more options is always better than relying solely on one plan of action. 

Woodlands offer an excellent heating and cooking fuel source

Before purchasing a property, be sure that it will supply everything your group will need in order to not just survive, but to thrive in a worst case scenario.  I know I have already said this, but do your research on the property you are considering.  Get to know the property.  Visit it several times while deciding if it's the one.  Each time you visit a property you will learn more about it than you did the last time you checked it out.  Some of these things will be good.  Some of these findings may be bad.   Know as much about the property as you possibly can.  The last thing you want to do is to sign your name on the dotted line for a piece of property only to find out it will not serve its purpose.   

- Prepare now to thrive tomorrow 

Why Invest In Precious Metals?

If you have read my post on Money When It Hits The Fan, you know the importance of investing your dollars in assets with real value (those assets being anything that will enable you to trade them for the items you find yourself in need of in the event of an economic collapse).  You also know that it is important to invest a portion of your prepping money into supplies that you will be in need of such as a well equipped bug out bag.  However, it is a good idea to also invest a small portion of your allotted prepping funds into precious metals such as gold and silver.  This is because in the beginnings of an economic collapse many people will want to get their hands on these precious metals thinking that by doing so it will enable them to purchase whatever they need and protect them from future monetary losses.  This will open up a great opportunity for you to get the items you are lacking for your own self-sufficiency.

The statement "gold has never been worth nothing" is true, however in the case of an economic collapse, it will tend to lose its value as the crisis wears on.  By studying the Great Depression, you will learn that as time passed people lost their interest in precious metals and focused on obtaining the goods that they could use to barter with in order to fulfill their needs.  Because of this having a small stash of some type of precious metal whether gold or silver will most likely benefit you in the beginning stages of just such an event.

By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail - Benjamin Franklin 

How To Become A Prepper

Becoming a prepper is not a difficult task, it simply involves preparing for some future event that might occur.  The first step is to determine the most probable scenarios that might play out in your life.  These scenarios could include anything from simple storms to economic collapse or even a grid down episode such as an EMP.

Once you determine the events that are possible, the next step is to decide what preps would be needed in the case that such an event should happen.  Write out a detailed list of supplies that would be needed making sure to think through every possibility that could occur.

Once this list is complete and you are sure that every possible necessity has been written down it is time to begin purchasing them.  You do not have to purchase every item all at once.  It is a good idea to begin small and build your preps up slowly.  The exception to this rule is that if you feel that one of the situations you are preparing for may happen very soon you might want to speed up your purchasing.  

The main reason to start out purchasing your preps slowly is because bringing home too many items at once can be overwhelming.  You must consider where you will store everything without the preps becoming a burden to your household.  This can take some time to plan out and prepare the storage area.

When considering storage for your purchases, be sure you have a place that is safe for storing them.  If your purchases include guns and ammunition, you may want to purchase a safe to keep them out of the hands of anyone who would desire to steal them.  At some point you must consider the possibility that in the case of any bad scenario playing out, there will most likely be marauders who will desire to take your preps.  Preparing for this type of a situation should also play an important role in your prepping.

Be sure that you control your prepping habits and that your prepping habits don't control you.  It is very difficult to enjoy the process of preparing for the worst when your preparations are in control.  This is sometimes a difficult task and many beginning preppers lose the battle at first.  However, with time you will be able to gain the upper hand and take control of the situation.

However fast or slowly you decide to prepare for your worst case scenario, be sure that you enjoy the experience and think out every possible situation that could come about so that you are fully ready to survive through it when SHTF.

- A prep a day can keep ill fate away

Money When It Hits The Fan

If we are ever unfortunate enough to live through the turmoil created by everything going haywire paper money will quickly become worthless.  Many preppers purchase gold and silver thinking they will be able to get whatever they need with those ever precious metals.  Although gold and silver will almost definitely never become worthless, there are other items that will be more valuable in a doomsday scenario.  In a case like this the ability to barter with items that are essential for everyday life will prove to be priceless. 

Because we can't live more than a few days without it, water will instantly rise to the top of the list as a valuable commodity.  When the public water supply is dwindling and no-one is able to get ahold of this ever precious asset, people will be willing to do almost anything to quench their thirst.

will also be near the top and most likely second only to water.  People will stop at nothing to attain food when their families are starving.  Don't allow your family to get into a situation where they are hurting for food.

Lighters and matches will be another valuable resource for bartering.  Whether they need to cook their food or are trying to stay warm, everyone will need some method of starting a fire. Some of the best lighters are  which will enable you to start hundreds of fires and can be refilled with any flammable fluid.

When stores become non-existent and clothing is no longer readily available most individuals will not know what to do.  Having a few extra garments laying around will allow you to trade with these drifters who are likely to posses an item or two that you may desire.

Weapons, tools and ammunition will be desired by the masses who are attempting to hunt and protect themselves out of desperation.

Many of the people wandering the streets will be in search of alcohol and nicotine.  These two substances are quite addictive and the withdrawal that will be felt by those who use and abuse them is going to be immense.

Without doctors or hospitals, will also be in high demand.  Injured people will be in search of all types of medical related necessities in order to facilitate their needs.

Never underestimate the value of your own skills.  There will be people who want to have something done that you will be able to help them with in exchange for the items or skills you need.

The above list doesn't cover all the wants and needs that will be experienced during a worst case scenario, but it should give you an excellent place to start.  By thinking of those items that would cause life to be more difficult in their absence you will be able to compile an extensive list of necessities for bartering.