I don’t know exactly when my husband and I first discussed preparing for emergency situations and stockpiling, but we began keeping a small notebook in 2009 to inventory items we purchased to stock pile in case TSHTF or in the event of TEOTWAWKI. Our main concern was economic collapse, followed by civil unrest and the resulting lack of availability of food, water, and other necessities and the possibility of being unable to move about freely. We read some books, including Patriots by James Wesley, Rawles, One Second After by William Forstchen and The Road
When we first began to prepare, both for personal protection and stockpiling items of necessity, we weren’t sure exactly how to tackle it. We just took one step at a time – we bought a large bag of rice; we bought some canned goods; some sugar, some dried beans. We began investigating, looking at web sites, lists of suggested items, how much food is needed for two weeks, for three months, for a year. How much water was needed. It was a bit overwhelming, but we just kept adding a few things at a time. We started picking up extra canned goods on most grocery shopping trips, looking for the ones on sale. Since we started, food prices have increased substantially and economical choices are much harder to find. Coffee has skyrocketed! We love our coffee and made sure we have a percolator style coffee pot so we can make coffee whether on the propane grill or an open fire! We also make an effort to keep at least two extra full propane gas grill tanks on hand.
We started to store our collected items by putting most things into food grade plastic bucket containers – we had lots of empty cat litter containers – and labeling the top and front with identifying info and keeping them in a storage closet. However, as we accumulated items, the containers stacked up and the ones on the bottom were the oldest and would need rotating out the soonest. So we had to come up with another plan. We rearranged some furniture in “the junk room” and bought a steel storage shelf with 4 levels each supposed to bear 1,000 lbs. and we unloaded most of the buckets. I first put everything on the shelves by date, but later found I couldn’t get to what I was looking for easily for use and rotating. So, I unloaded the shelves and started over, stacking cans by contents (e.g., corn, beans, meats, fruits, etc.). This seems to be working much better. We soon filled up that shelf and got another one. We still keep some things in the buckets (e.g. sugar, dried beans – things in plastic bags) stored between the two shelves and clearly marked. Now, there are areas for canned foods and other boxed and container foods, pasta, condiments, sauces, spices, jellies, syrups and honey, as well as medical supplies, toiletries, toilet paper, sleeping bags, tools, duct tape, lighters and matches, candles, oil lamps, etc. We also found a solar lamp to add to our collection and ordered a small crank/solar emergency radio with multiple types of recharging outlets.
We feel we have made a good beginning. We still don’t have an accurate calculation of how long our supplies will last. We are now using the stockpile shelves as an additional pantry, and when we use something from the shelf, we put it on the shopping list for replacement, and of course we are always adding extra items as well. We know one thing for sure – we still don’t have enough water stored and that is a very challenging situation as it takes up so much space and we live in a modest house on a small property. We mostly have bottled water and are contemplating how to set up other methods for water collection and storage. We have a few water purification tablets, but consider these as sort of “last resort” items and pray we don’t ever need them! However, we do live on a small lake and could at least retrieve some water for cleaning, toilet flushing, etc. from the lake. There are huge catfish in the lake but we figure they won’t last long when TSHTF.
One of the next things on our to-do list is to take a new inventory – since we put up the big shelves we stopped writing everything in our little book. I am creating an inventory sheet that I hope will make it easy to both add and delete items for keeping an accurate inventory.
On top of all the other possible scenarios we are faced with today, we live in the New Madrid Fault Zone, so earthquake is always a looming possibility. It’s a fairly large, urban area where thievery, violence, rioting and a very real need to protect both our home and ourselves in the event of any kind of major disruption is entirely likely. We both have concealed carry permits and have also been stockpiling ammunition and investing in firearms and necessary accessories. We have attended gun shows where we have found some great prices on additional magazines for our weapons. (The gun show was also one of the only places we’ve ever seen a copy of Patriots !) So far, aside from buying in bulk when possible, we were surprised to find that Wal-Mart has the best prices in our area on the ammunition we need.
We have found that shopping for stockpile items, going to the range and out to the country to shoot, as well as attending gun shows, are entertaining activities that we can do together and with a few like-minded friends. One of our local shooting ranges has “Date Night” where for one set price you can get two meals in their great little restaurant, two targets and two boxes of ammo, and we’ve enjoyed this outing several times with other couples. We can even take a long gun to these date nights. It’s an enjoyable evening out as well as an opportunity to hone our skills.
In addition, we go target shooting at another location available to us which is most helpful as it is outdoors and we have more freedom to handle our firearms in a manner less restricted than at the range. My mother gave me a 20 gauge shotgun for Christmas last year because our 12 gauge was so heavy and just too big for me. I love my little Mossberg. I finally got to take it to the country and shoot a bit at some clay pigeons. Next time I plan to shoot it at a paper target so I can get a good idea of the pattern of the shot when fired and what type of shotgun shells I want.
These activities have enhanced our abilities as well as reinforced our mind set to be physically, mentally and spiritually prepared. Even though our state does not require a firearms training certificate to be approved for concealed carry, we live just across the state line and decided to take that state’s required course and were really glad we did. I was tickled pink to be named “top shot” in our class and they really ribbed my husband about being nice to me! We returned later for a level II tactical training class as well. Our increased level of confidence provided by the firearms training was most helpful, and we were made familiar with the laws concerning carrying firearms in our area.
Stockpiling and prepping has been an exciting project for us. We do have some close friends who are like-minded and we exchange ideas and they are also beginning to stockpile. We try to be careful who knows about our stockpile and have found it to be a bit of a challenge to strike the right balance between caution and encouraging others to be prepared. I find I want to tell people “hey, you need to be storing up food and stuff” but my husband is more cautious. We do feel blessed to have a core group of friends who are thinking about these scenarios too and we hope to be an encouragement to each other as time goes by and to find ourselves and our friends prepared for any eventuality. Another challenge is considering how much is needed in order to share with others – we have elderly neighbors and some family nearby.
One of our biggest concerns is the possibility of needing to bug out. It’s one thing to have a wonderful stash secure at home, and if we have an earthquake or other natural disaster, we’ll be set and feel pretty secure assuming the period of down time won’t last too long. However, in the event of economic collapse, an EMP, or some other more permanent disaster, and if civil unrest occurs, we are still too close to the “big city” and would want to be out of this area. Our financial situation has not permitted us to move away to a safer area of the country yet; we are constantly looking at real estate for sale with acreage and trying to find something we might be able to afford and that has a well or a spring for water and other desirable features. I am guessing this is not an uncommon concern. Much of what I read is obviously written by folks with financial means to choose great property in the best areas. We have to tackle this from the perspective of basic, middle class, in debt, paycheck-to-paycheck Americans. Just not stressing out over the financial aspect is a victory!
I work downtown in an urban area of approximately one million people including the surrounding area. Home is about 25 miles away – a minimum 40 minute drive. I have a backpack in my trunk with emergency food – a couple of those three day compressed blocks, the dried type – and some nuts and dried beef, some water, a few tools and other essentials such as extra clothing, shoes, a radio and batteries, butane lighter, poncho, flashlight, and various other items. Assuming I can get to my car which is parked in a concrete garage attached to a high rise building, I would at least have something to take with me as I begin the trek towards home. There are many bridges, overpasses, creeks, and miles to cross and many hours before I would make it home. To be out, alone in the city, in the dark, would scare me to death. I pray by being mentally and spiritually prepared, I could manage to do what I must. My husband and I have discussed this possibility and under the scenario that I would even begin to walk home, we decided it would be best for him to wait for me there – if I can’t travel the roads home, he wouldn’t be able to get to me either. He works just three miles from our home so we felt it would be best for him to go there and wait.
These are some of the many things we have contemplated so that in the event of an emergency, we will at least have considered what action to take. We were reminded in our handgun training that if you haven’t at least thought ahead of time about something that may happen, it takes your brain several seconds to react. If you have already thought about it, your reaction time is much faster – if somebody kicks in your back door, what do you plan to do? Also, having a plan will help prevent panic.
We both know that we need to be more physically prepared than we are now and we are not young anymore. This is one of the next things on our agenda – survival training! We know if we are forced out of our easy lifestyle, we are going to need skills, energy and stamina, as well as calm minds and hopeful and determined hearts. We feel we are spiritually fit and this gives us courage and confidence.
If we’ve invested time and money preparing and nothing bad happens, then great; but we don’t even want to think about what it would be like if something bad happens and we haven’t prepared. It’s a win/win situation to prep.
We still feel we are beginners, even after a couple of years, but we have learned a lot along the way. We hope that others who are unsure about what to do, where to begin, and how to go about preparing for the future, will be encouraged to just take it one step at a time, one can, one box, one jar, one weapon, one list, one day at a time and be amazed at how quickly their stockpile will grow, and how confident and enthusiastic they will feel as they make progress. We certainly do.
So, kindred spirits, just begin!
Lessons Learned by Beginning Preppers, by Theresa L.
