Posted: 12/3/2008 8:38:09 PM EDT
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Ok, let's say the economy melts down and we have say 6 months to get ready. What would priorities be?
Hypothetically, the following is already obtained: M4gery, 12 mags, 2000 rounds ammo., BUIS only, no sling. 1911, 2 mags 500 rounds, thigh rig, CCW holster. Model 70 in 30-06, w/ 3-9x40, 200 rounds. 3- .22 Cal. Rifles with 3000 rounds. 9mm handgun, 500 rounds. Food for about 2 weeks. Cash. So, what is next? More food, water, sleeping bags, radio etc. What would you priortize from the most important to least? |
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1. You MAY get attacked. You've taken care of that.
no sling.
2. Get a sling, learn how to use it. 1911, 2 mags 3. You are light on the 1911 mags. Get AT LEAST two more, preferably about 4-5 more. Model 70 in 30-06, w/ 3-9x40, 200 rounds
4. Get ~ 300 more rounds for your 30-06. 9mm handgun, 500 rounds
5. 4-5 mags minimum. This will round out your battery. But look at it this way: You MAY be attacked. Guns should be your least important preparation FOR SHTF. But for modern urban, suburban or rural living, while the money is coming in and you are fed, sheltered, etc. guns are a good thing to have. You WILL need to eat & drink water. Now's the time to start prepping for those times when money's tight, massive unemployment is causing violence to escalate, etc. If you have food at home, guess what–– you don't NEED to leave home to forage. So look at what you do every day (on the weekends–– we're assuming you are not employed, job went south, roving gangs of zombies, etc.), and be sure you can continue to do these things. Eat. Make sure you have lots of food available. And make sure it is stuff you can digest well. Make sure the change of diet doesn't adversely affect the children in your family, too. And make sure you have fuel, etc. to prepare that food. Eat. Drink. Plenty of POTABLE water is necessary: about 1 gallon/day just for drinking, more for cooking. Eat. Drink. Sleep comfortably. Got good blankets, etc for your bed? Try this: Turn off your house heater for 24 hours, then try to go to sleep. You will learn something! The same sleeping bag you use for your bugout bag can help keep you warm in your home if need be. It'd be nicer to have extra bedding though; your extended family may be using the sleeping bag. Eat. Drink. Sleep. Shit. Be SURE you can dispose of solid human waste effectively. If TSHTF, water for non-drinking purposes may be scarce. An emergency toilet may be as simple as a 5-gallon bucket with a seat on it and a plastic bag inside. There are more elaborate emergency toilets available. There is a remarkable book out there that will help somewhat: "How to Shit in the Woods." This really is the name of the book. Eat. Drink. Sleep comfortably. Shit. Clean up effectively afterward. When SHTF, basic sanitation becomes even more important than ever before. Remember, the doc is hunkering down too; even if his office is open, he'll be seeing higher-priority patients than YOU. And I don't necessarily mean people with gunshot wounds, either; when L&O break down, the local cops will befriend all the medical people in town. You will be in the waiting room. |
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Food & water first.
Need a few more mags. Ammo is ok... would add more AFTER food and water if you can... don't have to go crazy with it, but a little here and there adds up over time. Do you have any spare parts for you main weapons? If not, get some, because if something stupid like a spring goes bad, you're weapon is useless. Don't depend on being able to "pick it up as you go"... Get it now. Don't buy useless (i.e. This is cool!) trinkets. They eat up money fast and won't be worth anything to you when you're hungry or cold. Things like GPS units, 300$ water filters, windproof 100$ lighters, 100$ flash lights, etc etc... Unless you know how to use it and will be utilizing it immediately, it will empty your budget in no time. At the same time, don't go with the cheapest thing you can find. Most of the cheap stuff will break or become useless. Research products BEFORE you buy them. Be sensible, ask a lot of questions. Things like sleeping bags and radios aren't really necessary. Couple of warm blankets will do just fine... If the SHTF, I don't think you are going to want to be camping in the woods. They are nice, but expensive and other things will work just fine. Radios are another thing that unless you go with Amateur Radio (HAM radio) you're getting pretty much cheap junk. There are some new frequencies under MURs that allow you to have a more powerful radio (2 watts) that will actually travel 3-5miles. Downside to it is they are often just as expensive as decent ham radios. Take the ham radio test, it's only 20$ and anyone can pass it. After that you can get a mobile (vehicle) radio with 50 Watts + power. I tried to get some of my friends who are into prepping to become licensed radio operators, but they don't want to for some reason or another. Doesn't help much to have a radio and no one to communicate with because they don't have one. Nice thing is you can listen in on emergency services frequencies (police/emt/fire/rescue/etc) and that alone can give you some heads up if something is happening near you. Unfortunately quite a few agencies are now moving to trunked (digital) systems that require expensive radios to listen in on them. Might want to see if your area is using that system of the older analog systems. good luck and remember, be sensible, don't go crazy. |
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Fuel for your vehicle and/or alternative mode of transportation if you have to go anywhere
Echinacea with Goldenseal and Multivitamins.....laugh away but this has kept me out of the doctor's office countless times when others are sick. Maybe a pocket pistol. You have enough firearms but will you require anything for deep concealment? Maybe - maybe not. A snubnose revolver or Keltec would fit the bill if you feel you NEED one. Debt free as mentioned - some cash on hand since US currency should be worth something. |
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I see alot of people saying reduce debt, reduce debt. If the SHTF and I am out elec/water/L&O, I don't care how much debt I have!
If you have all the money you need and can go into a situation with 10K and be debt free, by all means do so. Most of us can't. Use your credit cards to buy your preps/grocieries/gas/etc until the SHTF or you have enough. Stash your cash in the gun safe. Once you have all your preps and what you deem enough cash on hand, then start paying off your debt. My plan, between now and inaguartion at least, my burb payment, groceries, dog food, and car insurance go on my cc's and I will make min payments. I can then re-evaluate. If things look good, all the cash I would have used to make those payments goes to the cc's. BUT ––––> if it gets ugly, I won't be sitting around later telling my kids we are hungry, but damn it feels good to be debt free! |
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Quoted:
1. You MAY get attacked. You've taken care of that. no sling.
2. Get a sling, learn how to use it. 1911, 2 mags 3. You are light on the 1911 mags. Get AT LEAST two more, preferably about 4-5 more. Model 70 in 30-06, w/ 3-9x40, 200 rounds
4. Get ~ 300 more rounds for your 30-06. 9mm handgun, 500 rounds
5. 4-5 mags minimum. This will round out your battery. But look at it this way: You MAY be attacked. Guns should be your least important preparation FOR SHTF. But for modern urban, suburban or rural living, while the money is coming in and you are fed, sheltered, etc. guns are a good thing to have. You WILL need to eat & drink water. Now's the time to start prepping for those times when money's tight, massive unemployment is causing violence to escalate, etc. If you have food at home, guess what–– you don't NEED to leave home to forage. So look at what you do every day (on the weekends–– we're assuming you are not employed, job went south, roving gangs of zombies, etc.), and be sure you can continue to do these things. Eat. Make sure you have lots of food available. And make sure it is stuff you can digest well. Make sure the change of diet doesn't adversely affect the children in your family, too. And make sure you have fuel, etc. to prepare that food. Eat. Drink. Plenty of POTABLE water is necessary: about 1 gallon/day just for drinking, more for cooking. Eat. Drink. Sleep comfortably. Got good blankets, etc for your bed? Try this: Turn off your house heater for 24 hours, then try to go to sleep. You will learn something! The same sleeping bag you use for your bugout bag can help keep you warm in your home if need be. It'd be nicer to have extra bedding though; your extended family may be using the sleeping bag. Eat. Drink. Sleep. Shit. Be SURE you can dispose of solid human waste effectively. If TSHTF, water for non-drinking purposes may be scarce. An emergency toilet may be as simple as a 5-gallon bucket with a seat on it and a plastic bag inside. There are more elaborate emergency toilets available. There is a remarkable book out there that will help somewhat: "How to Shit in the Woods." This really is the name of the book. Eat. Drink. Sleep comfortably. Shit. Clean up effectively afterward. When SHTF, basic sanitation becomes even more important than ever before. Remember, the doc is hunkering down too; even if his office is open, he'll be seeing higher-priority patients than YOU. And I don't necessarily mean people with gunshot wounds, either; when L&O break down, the local cops will befriend all the medical people in town. You will be in the waiting room. 1. What sling works best for the AR platform? I understand that its a matter of preference. I have standard sling for the Mod 70. I live in a large City so, protection Was athe top of my list. 2. I have lived without power for a week each in the summer and winter. Not by choice, strms took out most of the electricity. I have several very good down comforters that keep me toasty warm. 3. Should I have 6 months, 1 yr or 2 yrs of food. I have been reading and learning about food storage, so I am moving in that direction. I have a large wood burning fireplace I have cooked in before. Cast Iron skillets and pots. 4. What's the best way to store water? 5. Sanitation, something I had not given a lot o thought to. Will start working on that. 6. As far as debt, just the house and one car payment. Have 4 cars paid for. Thank you, I appreciate your input. |
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Quoted:
Food & water first. Need a few more mags. Ammo is ok... would add more AFTER food and water if you can... don't have to go crazy with it, but a little here and there adds up over time. Do you have any spare parts for you main weapons? If not, get some, because if something stupid like a spring goes bad, you're weapon is useless. Don't depend on being able to "pick it up as you go"... Get it now. Don't buy useless (i.e. This is cool!) trinkets. They eat up money fast and won't be worth anything to you when you're hungry or cold. Things like GPS units, 300$ water filters, windproof 100$ lighters, 100$ flash lights, etc etc... Unless you know how to use it and will be utilizing it immediately, it will empty your budget in no time. At the same time, don't go with the cheapest thing you can find. Most of the cheap stuff will break or become useless. Research products BEFORE you buy them. Be sensible, ask a lot of questions. Things like sleeping bags and radios aren't really necessary. Couple of warm blankets will do just fine... If the SHTF, I don't think you are going to want to be camping in the woods. They are nice, but expensive and other things will work just fine. Radios are another thing that unless you go with Amateur Radio (HAM radio) you're getting pretty much cheap junk. There are some new frequencies under MURs that allow you to have a more powerful radio (2 watts) that will actually travel 3-5miles. Downside to it is they are often just as expensive as decent ham radios. Take the ham radio test, it's only 20$ and anyone can pass it. After that you can get a mobile (vehicle) radio with 50 Watts + power. I tried to get some of my friends who are into prepping to become licensed radio operators, but they don't want to for some reason or another. Doesn't help much to have a radio and no one to communicate with because they don't have one. Nice thing is you can listen in on emergency services frequencies (police/emt/fire/rescue/etc) and that alone can give you some heads up if something is happening near you. Unfortunately quite a few agencies are now moving to trunked (digital) systems that require expensive radios to listen in on them. Might want to see if your area is using that system of the older analog systems. good luck and remember, be sensible, don't go crazy. Thank you, this too, is the type of answer I was looking for. Willl need to get parts kit for all arms. I assume FCC is the place to go for the radio license? |
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From a survival standpoint you are set for guns and ammo. Sure, more mags, but in reality you would be better served for using that $$ to get more mags to instead buy up food and water supplies.
Buying more guns and ammo for recreation/want is fine, but from a strict survival planning aspect, you would be fine with what you've got. Focus on the less "fun" things like canned food, rice and beans, etc. |
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IMNSHO, you have focused on the least important survival tools - the guns. I know most of us have them anyway, often for other reasons, so its not that big of an issue. But you need to stop thinking that being attacked and having to defend your place is going to be your biggest problem.
It just is not likely to be that big of a deal. In a major meltdown, there will be armed troops on the street keeping order. It will probably be safer than it is today in most place and most respects. You need to look at what you are trying to prepare for. I would focus on the most likely natural disaster(s) first. Tornados, ice storms, blizzards, hurricanes, earthquakes, etc. Plan what you are going to do when faced with two weeks of no outside help or supplies, no natural gas, no electricity, no city water, no city sewer, etc. You get the idea. What are you going to do to stay warm for the two weeks it takes the utility crews to get the power back on after a major ice storm? How do you plan to feed yourself when all the local supermarkets are shutdown because of the earthquake that collapsed the only bridge into town? What is your plan to deal with sanitation issues when city water and sewer fails for a few days? Look at these kind of realistic issues first, and make some preparations for those kind of things long before you worry about TEOTWAWKI. Most people have a lot more survival gear already than they realize. Camping, hunting, and hiking gear can serve a dual purpose. The propane heater in your garage can be used to keep you from freezing to death in the house for a few days when the power fails and you can't use your furnace. You can cook on your BBQ grill if you have to. Use the spade in your garage to dig a latrine. And I would focus first on bugging in rather than bugging out. In most cases, thats probably your best option, although there are obviously cases where you have to pack up what you can in 10 minutes and hit the road. You ought to think about what you are going to throw in the car in those ten minutes you have now, rather than when you have to do it in a panic. Once you have figured out what you are going to do (or at least plan to do) in the case of a minor SHTF issue, then you can start worrying about TEOTWAWKI. |
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I prioritize for the smallest and most likely situation first, the largest and least likely last. It usually goes hand in hand, as the smaller situations are more likely to happen - ie, losing your job, getting robbed, flat tire in the middle of nowhere in the middle of winter, normal SHTF vs NBC threats, extinction level events, zombie swarm, true TEOTWAWKI. Then I go with the rules of three for each one - 3 minutes of air, 3 hours of shelter, 3 days of water, 3 weeks of food, 3 months without hope. Not all apply to every situation, or they can apply to different situations in different ways. Preps can be specific, like geiger counters, or can overlap, like food and water. Then I incrementally increase everything when I get paid. |
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Quoted:
IMNSHO, you have focused on the least important survival tools - the guns. I know most of us have them anyway, often for other reasons, so its not that big of an issue. But you need to stop thinking that being attacked and having to defend your place is going to be your biggest problem. It just is not likely to be that big of a deal. In a major meltdown, there will be armed troops on the street keeping order. It will probably be safer than it is today in most place and most respects. You need to look at what you are trying to prepare for. I would focus on the most likely natural disaster(s) first. Tornados, ice storms, blizzards, hurricanes, earthquakes, etc. Plan what you are going to do when faced with two weeks of no outside help or supplies, no natural gas, no electricity, no city water, no city sewer, etc. You get the idea. What are you going to do to stay warm for the two weeks it takes the utility crews to get the power back on after a major ice storm? How do you plan to feed yourself when all the local supermarkets are shutdown because of the earthquake that collapsed the only bridge into town? What is your plan to deal with sanitation issues when city water and sewer fails for a few days? Look at these kind of realistic issues first, and make some preparations for those kind of things long before you worry about TEOTWAWKI. Most people have a lot more survival gear already than they realize. Camping, hunting, and hiking gear can serve a dual purpose. The propane heater in your garage can be used to keep you from freezing to death in the house for a few days when the power fails and you can't use your furnace. You can cook on your BBQ grill if you have to. Use the spade in your garage to dig a latrine. And I would focus first on bugging in rather than bugging out. In most cases, thats probably your best option, although there are obviously cases where you have to pack up what you can in 10 minutes and hit the road. You ought to think about what you are going to throw in the car in those ten minutes you have now, rather than when you have to do it in a panic. Once you ahve figured out what you are going to do (or at least plan to do) in the case of a minor SHTF issue, then you can start worrying about TEOTWAWKI. Good info. thanks. Haven't been focusing on the guns part, just started to add to what I already had. Due to my job and the info I read every day have become more concerned about the economic issues. I agree that we already possess most of what we will need, as you stated above. Just trying to figure out what I have to work with and what my priorities should be. Trying to shorten the learning curve. After living without power on two separate occassions, in the recent past, I realize that the short term issue is more important than the TEOTWAWKI situation. That being said, I think that there might be some economic disruption in the near future. I also, think that it will be short lived. But, being prepared is a better position to be in. |
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I use the following to help with decisions and priorities:
You can only survive three minutes without air. you can only survive three hours in extreme weather without shelter. You can only survive three days without water. You can only survive three weeks without food. You can only survive three months without hope. And the last one, A bullet can kill you in three mili-seconds..... Anothing to consider as you prioritize your preps, the supply vs demand equation. The good items are becoming harder and harder to find. Regards, Sounds |
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to echo what others have said, look at what SHTF event is most likely to hit you and prep for it. then move to the next most likely and prep for it. go down the list until you get to the hordes of mutant zombie bikers and then prep for them as well.
if the economy melts, the most likely events would be job loss, inflationary cost increases on food, gas, etc. best thing to do is store more food, water, household goods, etc., pay off as much debt as possible and put money, salt, .22 ammo, etc. aside for bartering w/. |
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5. Sanitation, something I had not given a lot o thought to. Will start working on that. Sanitation will be a MUCH bigger issue than many people plan for. Here's a link to a great basic reference: Field Hygiene and Sanitation Best of luck with your preps. |
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One thing to consider - beefing up your perimeter defense. Wife and I just purchased a HEAVY security screen door that honestly I think would require a tank to bust it in. heavy steel door with multiple locks is behind it. Considering impact resistant windows, even hough we already have hurricane panels for all windows.
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