Broken down to it's most basic a prepper is that guy\gal on your block that just seems to have it together. You know the ones that you go to when you need something after the stores are closed, that never need to come borrow from you in return. It really is just a mindset but we will get into that in other posts.
I am a prepper and have been my whole life even though I did not know what the term was until recently. For me this was ensuring the fuel tank on my truck was full and extra jerry cans of fuel stored in the garage in case of an emergency. Always having large amounts of non-perishable foods and bottled water in the house. Owning up to date fire extinguishers and knowing how to use them properly as well as having first aid kits in the home and all vehicles. I took two different first aid courses and have kept up with the recertification's just in case it would ever be needed to help someone. As a family we love camping so it has always been a priority to improve woodsman skills. I have bow hunted for years and this built a skill set in this area honing the skills of my youth hunting with rifles to a whole new level. Because of being a cheapskate I have learned how to garden make sausage, jerky and canned veggies.
It turns out that what I was doing for all of these years was building a skill set as well as the tool base to be able to provide for my family with a lot less outside help. This has to be the end goal of any true prepper. I have no idea if a major event will happen in my life time or not that will require us to live without the amenities that we all take for granted everyday. But I for one feel a whole lot better about my families future while I am watching the news and know if the events happening around the world were to manifest here we would have a food and water supply to get us through.
Personally I do not consider those individuals that call themselves prepper's and have spent more time and money on their personal armoury then on the staples of life or the proper skills to maintain life over the long term if need be. Know before I get myself lynched I am no gun hating liberal. I believe all prepper's need to include a weapons cache and training with all of them for each family member to me this is non-negotiable. Weapons are just tools and need to be a part of the whole picture not the main focus.
If any one item should become the center piece of your preps it would be training. You can lose your weapons and have your food stolen or destroyed but information and training is yours as long as you draw breathe. Some of the skills that are an absolute must are some of the most basic thing's that any Boy Scout would be able to instruct you on.
1) First-aid/CPR - I can not stress this enough if you have never taken a course go get yourself enrolled and get certified ASAP.
2) Fire building - anyone can build a fire when the wood is dry and good tinder is available, But in a bad situation this my not be the case you really need to know how to build and maintain a fire with wet wood and scarce tinder safely and quickly.
3) Water Purification - good clean water is the most precious resource you could ever have in any disaster that disrupts the utility grids or causes environmental contamination.
4) Food Prep - having a wiener roast once or twice in the summer is not what I am talking about but being able to cook good complete meals without power on a regular basis.
5) Self Defence - weapons and the skills to use them are a major part of this but equally important is knowing how to avoid the situations in the first place.
6) Food Storage - you need to know what is important and how to store it over a long period of time without spoilage.
These are just the six most basic skills that I would recommend to someone just starting out, most of you will read this and say I know how to do this, and good for you your chances of survival in a SHTF situation just went up dramatically. The whole point of this is to have the skills and materials on hand to do for yourself because others may not be there to do it for you.
Ask yourself what you would do if in the morning you got up the lights would not turn on your cell phone had no service and the national guard is patrolling the streets telling all citizens to stay in their homes. A natural disaster or terror attack can come without warning and the results can be horrific. Obtaining and honing a good skill set as well as having the basic's on hand provide peace of mind when they are not needed and life when they are needed. Till next time keep on prepping.
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