I did my first real "preparedness" shopping when the local K-mart went out of business. Waterproof matches, firestarter, gas cans, and other sundries. Guns and ammo were covered, for the record...
When I get home, my wife asks me "Are you going camping, or are you getting ready for the end of the world?"

Fast forward about a year. I get home from work the other day with some MRE's that an employee gave me to keep on hand. I see a funny look in my wife's eyes.

"Are those MRE's?"
"Yep."
"You know, I was looking at some of those in one of your catalogs today. We've got that old suitcase that we don't use for travel anymore. I was thinking that we could put that and some other stuff in there."

My wife is a very intelligent woman. She just hadn't thought about bad things happening until Katrina. I think the fact that we have kids now has also changed her opinion on the things we need to prepare for as well.

-Hobbit

I was watching some of the first reports of looting with my wife and I said, see this is why I have my AR15.  She agreed and realised that there is a fine line between civilazation and anarchy. Two days later we went and got her a Bersa thun\der .380.  (she already has her ccw)

Her eyes have been opened.  Especially about my ammo stash and mags.

Here are some thread along the line of this theme:
Hooray! Nawlins has convinced my Mom about this SHTF stuff! <-cheers, I said SHTF
Anyone's spouse not particularly supportive of being prepared?
Spouse's New Attitude Toward Preps

My wife has had a total change of heart. She thought I was a bit crazy about having supplies stockpiled. She thinks the world is ending when the power goes out. After she saw the NO deal, she has a whole new attitude.

Mine too. Had me order some NO-RAD and told me to make sure I have plenty of ammo. Told her I had 50,000 rounds and she said I might need to get more and to be careful shooting what I have. She ran out and got 10 gal of gas before hurricane and said I needed more gas cans. She bought lots of water.

Gotta love her

Mine is a little scared.  She always knew it was important to have the things we have, but now, she said to go "get more".  This thing here is settling out, for the time being, but it DOES illustrate something: it's a thin, THIN line that maintains civlity.  Be prepared.

My wife has her own guns and enjoys shooting as much as I do.  Thank God, she's also Sr. Staff Atty. for a Judge on our State Court of Criminal Apeals - i.e., she reads criminal cases all day long (with details, photos, etc) and has no illusions about what our fellow man is capable of...


Her response to all this?  "Honey, why don't you put an extra* AR in the "family truckster" so we'll both have one if need be?..."


* Each of our vehicles already has a rifle and a shotgun at all times as SOP.

Hardshell-
What configuration do you like in your truck guns?
-Hobbit

My wife has always been fine with the guns and will occasionally shoot the .22 but has never fully understood where I was coming from.

This has made her realize that it CAN happen to any of us and we need to be prepared. I have been given the go-ahead to prepare a formal surplus of water, food, (ammo already done) to last several weeks if needed.

Quoted: Hardshell- What configuration do you like in your truck guns? -Hobbit

For the car/truck guns, I use simple, lightweight 16" carbines (although I have used Dissys in the past, as well) with M3 Streamlights (very basic/inexpensive ARs) and full-stocked 870s with mag extensions and sidesaddles.  The exception is my Miata, in which I have my Bushmaster "Assault Rifle" (side-folder pseudo-AR) and a folding-stocked shotty, due to size limitations (those things have tiny trunks! ).

FWIW, I've carried at least two guns (handgun and long-gun) in my vehicles for over 20 years now & have never had a problem, theft, etc.  It may happen tomorrow , but it hasn't yet.


ETA:  This is a good example of what I'm talking about - this minimalistic little CAR (with a sling added, of course) has been doing "car duty" for a while now: