So since the balance of power change in the Federal Government I thought I was sitting pretty good for my ability to survive a possible TEOTWAWKI . Man was I so wrong. I have learned in the past three months that I am so far behind that if The Collapse happens in 20 years I will still not be as prepared as I thought I was.
Yes I have some basics and am a bit off of the beaten path, but there is still so much more that I am not ready for. Let me explain. I have lived in Hurricane Alley my entire life and have always made sure I and my family could get by for up to a week on our own. But, after meeting a few survivalists and reviewing their plans, be it G.O.O.D. or hunker down, I see how woefully unprepared I am. I have bullets band aids and some beans, but not enough. So I thought I would write about where to go from here. And list the things that I know I should have when or if the Schumer Hits the Fan.
First off, I have 10 acres of land most wooded with yellow pine and some white oak. It has a pond that is fed by a small spring. Briers grow just fine so I have blackberries in the summer along with plenty of wild blueberry trees. But, no much in the way of a garden plot. Not that it matters much as I have a hard time getting ordinary grass to grow. So the first thing I need to do is learn how to grow a garden.
Hunting is not much of a hobby for me but I can do it and am able to access plenty of deer and wild boar on and near my property so I should be set there. The pond has a few catfish and bream in it so I will be able to supplement there. The current plan is to continue to stock the pond and feed the fish as time passes. I am thinking of buying a few cattle and letting them graze on unused areas of my property. I can do that with minimal cross fencing and a place for them to get shelter. This would be an easy thing to do as except for the cows I have that stuff already to take care of the shelter and fencing. The biggest problem is keeping them in water so I would have to grant access to the pod for them after The Collapse. Now I do have a place to clean any animals that I kill and can do it so I should be fine there. I would recommend anyone reading this to learn how to do it themselves if they do not know how. This can be a skill easily learned by even the youngest of children so get on it if you have not yet done so.
I have a small stock of barter goods and am adding to them every chance I get. I have learned that the internet is a valuable resource in this respect. I posted a few well placed wanted ads on Craig’s list and got a supply chain started. Also registering with storage shed companies so I can attend their abandoned property auctions helps too. The stuff I do not want or need goes to a flea market to recoup losses or to local charities to help out there. I have further found several other auction sites that sell off surplus government items and bid there as well for items I want. I missed out on an entire pallet of MREs by just a few dollars on one site. The special thing about those ones were that they are the ones not for military use so they are quite a bit more appetizing for delicate palettes. That reminds me. If you have kids. Open up a pack of MREs. Treat it like a prize pack from a box of Cracker Jacks. My 10 year old daughter loves eating them now. When she first heard my buddy and me talking about them she was less than thrilled. Now she asks to take one for lunch at school every so often. How cool is that?
Now for vehicles. I have a diesel powered Chevy four wheel drive one ton. The drawback there is it is a 1994 so it has the electronic injector pump. They furthermore have a reputation for snapping crankshafts. I am looking to get an extra motor to store for it and an extra fuel pump drive module. I would seriously recommend finding older vehicles as proposed in “Patriots” (by Mr. Rawles). I have a 1986 Dodge Ramcharger that was my previous [primary] vehicle and I am extremely capable of any repairs that it may need in the future. Stock pile extra belts, hoses, starters, alternators, ignition coils, voltage regulators, water pumps, antifreeze (for colder climates), oil, transmission fluid, wiper blades (you only have to see to drive so you can expand their use time) and the other such items for future repairs. This thought was with me because of my “day job.” It is important to new preppers to think of such things. Whatever vehicles you own get at least a Chilton’s Repair manual, but preferably a Factory Service Manual. No, do not get the ones on compact disc for your computer. How would you propose accessing it post Collapse? They can be found with ease on eBay for around $50 to $100 each. Tools are not an issue for me since my hobby is wrenching on cars. But, for newbies … get a good set of Craftsman, Matco, or Snap-On tool kit. You need sockets, wrenches, ratchets, Allen tools, screwdrivers, pliers, wire cutters, pipe wrenches, sand paper, emery cloth, floor jack, jack stands, engine lifting device (a tree limb and a come along will get the job done), chains, the list is almost endless. Duct tape, rolls of wire, electrical tape and connecters would be things to have also. I now think a different way. Just think about anything you buy. Ask yourself the following question; “What if there was no way to ever get another one of these ever again?” Get extras if you can for future bartering and charity. That goes without saying on most things we are looking to have. Want to save money on this stuff? Go to flea markets, estate sales, yard sales, auctions, etc to get them.
More on tools; now that I think about it. Edged items for one example. You need knives, axes, razors, scissors, etc. Do you know how to sharpen them? I do. Be sure you have the equipment to do it by hand. You need files, whet stones and leather strops to do a decent job. Remember that you are wearing away the metal so you need extras of the edged items. I also have several multi-tool items. I got them at Dick’s Sporting Good Stores when they were having a clearance sale one day. Remember that certain knives are for certain jobs. A fillet knife is not a butcher knife. Try to buy knives that are multi-use items instead of specialty items. Leave out ones like paring knives for an example. Are you really going to be making display boats out of watermelons? I think most likely not after The Collapse.
Personal hygiene stuff. I just got done shaving and realized; am I going to grow a beard after The Collapse? I have to get stuff put away. Then I thought what about my wife and daughter? Are they never going to shave their legs again? I need more stuff. Razors, shaving cream, tampons, tweezers, nail clippers, small scissors, emery boards, tissues, toilet paper, soap, shampoo, detergent (for clothes), etc. Speaking of clothes, can you sew? I mean with a needle and thread not a machine. See a new skill you might need. How are you set for clothes in the future? I know I need to buy more BDUs (even though I wear them at work I need more). There is another article on this so I will not drag into it. Except to say: are you going to wear something or nothing? Don’t forget the adults are probably going to lose weight and the kids are going to grow up. Hold onto your old stuff so they can wear it in the future.
These plans are all assuming I can defend my current position and not have to bug out. I really do not have any place to bug out to, to be honest. Not that I am complaining. The resistance has to have many fronts to be successful. But, I have to get on it about defensive plans of my area in case the horde does come. I tend to think the biggest problem at least locally will be from groups of young gangs to start with. My neighbors and I should be able to fend that off. But if it becomes “The Road Warrior” type of hordes then we will probably have issues. So I need a good perimeter fence. I am thinking like 15 feet high with barb wire and razor wire rolls at a minimum. The fortunate thing is the few access points I have can easily become overgrown with foliage in a summer. However I do have a pair of driveways from the right of way that are difficult to manage due to the geography and mostly rolling type gates would be the only reasonable solution, until The Collapse occurs. At that point I can disable the driveways manually (i.e. Dig them up with a shovel). There is so much to do.
This is a short list of stuff I am working on now. And there are probably two more articles I could type without even trying hard. For example fresh food storage and cooking is a pair of topics that come to mind. So I strongly recommend that if you are just getting started to do all you can as quietly as you can. Because I certainly did not realize how clueless I was until I discovered others who are prepared.