What is it that makes you prep? Past, present or predictions for the future??

[knuckle Head]

We all and I post several on movie, tv shows, news articles about why we prep, but what about lifes experiences??

Past, present and your predictions for future needs.

I will start years ago I was out of work in the early 80's killed my savings account. Unemployment ran out and I finally got a job at minimum wage working security 78 -80 a weeks, after rent utilities and car payment there not much left, my meals mostly consisted of oatmeal, peanut butter and jelly, macaroni and cheese, hot dogs and eggs.

several years ago, I was out of work again and was cleaning out horse stalls, doing farm chores, with cows for land lord to work off my rent, my meals consisted of whatever I could scrape up, I remember one evening when all there was anywhere in the house with any nutrition were several small packets of sugar and that was what I had for dinner that night.

That is the primary reasons I prep I told myself when I got back to working, I would immediately put extra food aside and as i got debts paid off, I would put the things aside a person needs to sustain themselves.

Even then I saw our country in bad shape, now I see it even worse shape and declining with, with invisible price increases on goods, like a 34 ounce jar og planters nuts at samsclub for $14.58 when they had been selling for at least the last 10 years a 40 ounce jar, and two weeks prior I paid $14.58 for a 40 ounce jar.

I see lots of drastic cuts coming from the government to cut debt or either a lot more waste and deeper causing higher unemployment, either way the next months look very unstable to me. And the next three year for sure look financially challenging for out nation.

I know alot of you have similar stories, if you do not mind, share a few, I am sure someone will be motivated to prepare even a little by your story or reasons.

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[davemata]

Damn knuckle head, that's some heavy bubblegum.

I don't prep. I am however working on beginning to stockpile things, and I'm learning some useful skills, brewing, wine making, distilling. I think personally I'll have problems with "prepping". I don't do too well on grains, and that is mostly what prepping seems to be about.

Anyway... why would I at this point in time want to do it? I remember vividly standing in a food bank line as a kid, and refusing to let my mom stand there, because I couldn't let her go through that. Pride as a kid. That was a scary time, and something I occasionally think about. On top of that, having lived in the Sierras, it's a good idea to have supplies, because there were a few times we were without power for more than a few days.

It would also be very helpful to have some supplies if I lose my job. We won't be in a bad place but I don't want to be uncomfortable.

 

[fry]

fear









































































































of ZOMBIES

 

[fyrediver]

I grew up in the Army and my father was heavily into Scouting. That served as the foundation for my beliefs of being ready for emergencies and other unforeseen events.

Also, having lived through violent weather and other events all over the planet and having seen how people deal with it, or don't, also drives me to prepare. It's going to happen if you're ready or not.

I'm a firefighter as well and routinely see people lose their possessions to tragedy.

Oh yeah, and the Zombies

 

[Siuslaw Warrior]

Same here .. many Scouting trips where things happen and having been prepared has saved the day - or er night.

 

[knuckle Head]

I guess I should have added earlier,

That in between my tough times life was good, real from most peoples standards and from mine, growning up things were tough sometimes, but there was always food on the table, after I got off active duty military in early 80's it was hard to find a decent job. that was when I went through the first really rough time.

Then I was employeed (had a couple short layoffs) pretty steady and had a couple of rather good jobs, things were always ok, then after a layoff and taking a little time to do the Appalachian trail, I got a pretty decent job and traveled all over as a marketing and sales rep. again, until the company suffered quality problem and customers refused to let us quote on new stuff until fixed our problems, yet a company out of the detroit area.

Things slowly but sure got worse and worse, I never thought when I was a dinner in 1998 talking with the executive at Detroit Diesel and Roger Penske, and another automotive supplier dinner at henry ford museum sponsored by the state of Michigan and met the governor and talked with a state officials, that in few years i would renting an old farm house, driving an old car a relative gave me, and cleaning out horse stalls to pay my rent.

I prep because i saw how fast things can go from on top of the world, to really seriously bad.

Trust guys and gals, if you have never been that low, you do not want to be there, that is why I have more than two years food supply on hand for two people,

I am single, looking for a good lady, but she has to be low Maintenace $$$ wise and understand the value of a dollar, not saying things are not nice to have, but everything has to have a priotority.

 

[Burt Gummer]

Piece of Mind.

Food isn't going to get any cheaper and when properly managed/rotated there is no downside vs savings in fiat currency.

Been homeless and without food for several days at a time in my youth, it is overrated.

0% interest and money printing out of thin air will only last so long. When that fails, you'll want THINGS, not little slips of worthless paper.

 

[gunfreak]

Not only for the end of the world type situation but my wife and I have both been laid off, or natural disaster, and anything else unforseen.

 

[safetyman]

As a kid I was living on Kauai when hurricane Iniki decided to blow through. Based on meteorological suggestions, most knew that our island would end up getting hit the hardest. I remember my dad waking me up in the middle of the night after the storm sirens had gone off to help him get things and supplies together. We managed to get an old generator out of our storage shed running (was basically stashed in there for the previous 5 years) and threw what canned food we had in the pantry into waterproof totes knowing full well that we would have to rely on those for the next few days.

Well, thinking back now, my famly was never as prepared as we should have been. At the time, it would have been nice to have not had to worry about scrounging for supplies. I am nowhere near the point or preparedness that I'd like to be, but am taking steps toward the goal and plan I have envisioned. I don't want to be caught with my pants down when an emergency arises when I had all the time in the world to prepare.

 

[Angie]

Living in earthquake country for 20 years, I've always had 15-20 gallons of water jugs saved (and a couple hundred gallons in the horse tanks) and a couple weeks of canned food and about 15 gallons of fuel at all times.

I've recently had this gut feeling of impending doom of our nation and I feel like a nut at times because I worry about it so much. So I've become interested in stockpiling. Growing up in rural Oregon, my mom always canned fruit and veggies for the winter. I know how because I was right there with her in the heat of the summer in the hot kitchen, but I never really got into it as an adult. But now, there is this feeling of urgency to prepare for my family's sake. But we HAVE to get out of California. If something happens while we are here, there is no getting out. So I'm torn between wanting to start really stockpiling or wait until the ranch sells and we get to Montana. I don't want to have to move 6 gallon buckets of food and empty 50 gallon water barrels. So I'm really just focusing on the weapons and ammo right now. But the feeling of urgency that I consistently have is kind of eerie. Don't know if it's normal or not, but I'm damned near ready to give this place away just to get out. Almost like a need to get to safety. Is that kooky?

I don't know if that answers the original question or not, LOL.

 

[knuckle Head]

ANGIE,

I am trying to get a job transfer as well to another location, been putting in for stuff like mad for the last year.

I am not where I would like to be preparedness wise, but what I have is buy emergency energy bars, for on the go, then cases of #10 cans, of freeze dried and dehydrated goods, and then bought food and putting into mylar packaging for long term storage while I am waiting to get a transfer.

I figure to take it with me, that way once I get moved, I will that mush further along once I get moved, and if see things getting crazy quickly, I pack up my stuff and dee dee out ahead of the crowd.

 

[MissJ]

All of the reasons listed so far are mine as well.....but the PRIMARY REASON I started prepping was motherhood...

I became pregnant almost exactly 4 years ago and instead of shopping for cute baby outfits and stenciling zoo animals on the nursery walls.... I was inexplicably urged to stockpile food, medicine and ammo.... I still don't know WHY that urge came over me....but it has not diminished.

Along the way I've learned a lot and so I've gained some logical and rational reasons to continue prepping...but the initial push came from an emotional, unexplainable (and probably hormonal) "NEED" to protect my young....

 

[MissJ]

I've recently had this gut feeling of impending doom of our nation and I feel like a nut at times because I worry about it so much. So I've become interested in stockpiling. Growing up in rural Oregon, my mom always canned fruit and veggies for the winter. I know how because I was right there with her in the heat of the summer in the hot kitchen, but I never really got into it as an adult. But now, there is this feeling of urgency to prepare for my family's sake. But we HAVE to get out of California. If something happens while we are here, there is no getting out. So I'm torn between wanting to start really stockpiling or wait until the ranch sells and we get to Montana. I don't want to have to move 6 gallon buckets of food and empty 50 gallon water barrels. So I'm really just focusing on the weapons and ammo right now. But the feeling of urgency that I consistently have is kind of eerie. Don't know if it's normal or not, but I'm damned near ready to give this place away just to get out. Almost like a need to get to safety. Is that kooky?

I don't know if that answers the original question or not, LOL.

I don't think it is kooky at all....I think it is most easily summed up as parental responsibility which has evolved over however many thousands or millions of years. Those who have it usually pass on their genes....those who don't have it only pass on their genes when times are good...

I do think it is kooky that parents can hear everything on the news and see everything in the world around them, but still continue to live paycheck to paycheck buyng lottery tickets and getting take-out food for dinner and watching dancing with the stars on T.V. while there is less than 5 days worth of food in the house for their children.

 

[Burt Gummer]

Earthquake I'm screwed. Hopefuilly they'll turn Haarp lose on someplace else.

I have a sick sense of humor so I could see some entertainment with me trying to find the safe and stores through thousands of pounds of crap.

 

[Trailboss]

I've recently had this gut feeling of impending doom of our nation and I feel like a nut at times because I worry about it so much. So I've become interested in stockpiling.

This pretty much sums up my reasons as well. I've never worried in the past, but more recently, I can't shake the feeling that very hard times are coming. My fear is not so much for myself, but for the younger generation. I stock prepare for what I don't know and I stockpile hoping I have choosen wisely. A storm is approaching.

 

[Burt Gummer]

A storm is approaching.

02:20

 

[Sun195]

Disaster prep, mostly - earthquakes, storms, etc. Seeing the Rodney King Riots and aftermath of Katrina motivates my defensive preps.

I guess my preps would help in a longer-term scenario (economic depression, for example) but a change of mindset is probably more useful in that situation.

If the world goes totally to heck-in-a-handbasket, I suppose my preps will help with that. However, I'm dependent on insulin to live, so long-term survival after the total collapse of society isn't really an option for me. As a result, I don't worry about it too much.

It's all about hedging bets for me.

 

[MissJ]

A storm is approaching.

02:20

Sarah Connor is pretty much the raddest chick ever.....If I was a dude I'd have a huge crush on her....but since I am a mom she's pretty much my idol (except the getting locked up in the psycho ward part....)

 

[JackThompson]

I have a wife, 8 children, 1 grandson and a son-in-law-to-be.

That's 12 people to provide for.

Prepping for 2 people requires a stock pile, prepping for 12 (and possibly 1-3 more) requires me to have a wal*mart buried in the woods somewhere.

I've stored up a few months food. Medical supplies, generator, some gas, weapons, ammo, communications, candles, lamps.

All of that is finite. I'm working now on what to do WHEN (not if) that all runs out and nobody has waved a magic wand and made the world all better.

My to-do list right now includes cataloging all the plants and vegetation around here and finding what nutritional, medicinal and functional use it can be used for.

Building a still to refine fuel and essentiall oils and wine.
Setting up a canning operation.
Setting up a food dehydration operation.
Learning to prepare various game animals, and learning how to make the most of a kill.
Getting solar power setup.

Like so many have said on here. It's the family that drives my need to prepare. We all see impending hard times, just how bad it gets is up to fate, but it's coming.

If I was young and single, then a gun and some ammo would have been all I needed.

 

[ArgentineSteel]

Yeah Emergency Prep is an Eagle required merit badge now. What does that tell you about the people who put a lot of consideration into training youth for the future and being good citizens.

But I recall the aftermath of the Columbus Day storm in Portland, when we weren't so dependent on technology as we are today. Trees down on houses, roads mainly impassable, no power and the winds carried branches and debris through the air. Huddled in the living room of a neighboring farm house with no trees around. When your neighbors were stepping up to help each other.

I spent a week without power after the Clinton inaugural day storm in Seattle. When the new bridge across the lake was sunk. Out of work until they got all the lines back together. Cooking on the BBQ and going to our friends house for the occasional warm shower.

I've heard the sound Mountains make when they explode. I've seen ash falling out of the sky thick enough to collect in the gutters into a form of cement and tear the rain gutters off the house.

I've lost jobs in a hour when we had no clue it was coming. No notice. No income.

I was involved in researching the Y2K issues we could expect for my company and doing site prep for the date. Struggling to confirm that the company would go on after the year 2000. Yes there were problems, but not in the systems I was responsible for.

Any more, when I see problems coming, or know something dangerous could happen, I want to be as prepared as I can.

I grew up in the Army and my father was heavily into Scouting. That served as the foundation for my beliefs of being ready for emergencies and other unforeseen events.

Also, having lived through violent weather and other events all over the planet and having seen how people deal with it, or don't, also drives me to prepare. It's going to happen if you're ready or not.

I'm a firefighter as well and routinely see people lose their possessions to tragedy.

Oh yeah, and the Zombies