It might sound like an odd question to pose on a website that’s visited by prepared people, but again I’ll ask…. Are you really prepared?
It never fails to surprise me how unprepared most preppers actually are. Yea they have gear, stockpiles of food and even a stash of weapons and ammo; but a lot of them have no idea how to use their preps. Worse yet, many of them don’t have a realistic idea of what they’re even preparing for.
I often wonder how many of these “preppers”, who aren’t avid outdoorsman, could actually survive for any length of time in a real world survival situation. I don’t mean to down anyone who’s reading this, hell the fact that you’re reading this and prepping puts you far ahead of most of the country. But I am writing this as a wakeup call to those who prep with gear, and then fail to prep with training and knowledge.
BEING PREPARED MEANS:
Know what you’re preparing for, and knowing what obstacles you’ll be up against.
When planning for a SHTF scenario, there’s really only one thing that we can be sure of; Survival will be a bigger challenge than you ever believed possible. While you can’t be ready for everything, there are some things that you may want to consider when planning for a SHTF survival situation.
Knowing how to use your Gear and Preparedness Supplies.
It’s one thing to think you’re prepared to bug out; it’s another thing to actually do it with a backpack full of gear while trekking through the wilderness. If you have never stepped foot into the great outdoors to test your equipment, how can you consider yourself prepared to survive anything?
If the time comes, and you ever have to really get the hell out of dodge, the equipment you carry and the skills possess should feel completely natural. A time of crisis is not the time to learn how to use your gear.
Having a Plan
My Bug Out Planning is not that much different from my Hiking Planning. Just like when I head into the wilderness, I start with a plan. I analyze what weather, environmental, and route conditions will be like, I think about the possible threats and dangers I may face on my trip, and I come up with a plan to be prepared for any obstacles that I may encounter.
Planning for the most likely Dangers
When you’re just getting started in the world of prepping, preparing for an EMP or an Asteroid hitting the earth is probably not the best course of action. While both of those scenarios are scary, the probability of them happening is pretty low. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t prep for these things, I’m just suggesting that you plan for the most likely dangers first.
Mastering the Psychology of Survival
Survival, really being prepared to survive; means being able to control your fears, your emotions and your ego. To truly be prepared to survive, you need to cultivate a mindset that goes far beyond just having the skills to survive.
Having a Body That’s Prepared
No matter what survival situation you may ultimately find yourself in, there is one thing that you’ll likely find, survival is going to be hell on your body. One of the best things you can do to ensure your survival, in just about any situation, is to make sure your body and your mind are trained and prepared to survive. This means motivating yourself to get of
WHAT DOES BEING PREPARED MEAN TO YOU?
Yes, everyone should use, practice, and put your gear to the test many times.
I would have to say that my bug out planning is like my winter hiking and camping plans. Know the ins and outs of every piece of equipment you have, and make sure everything has multiple uses. The only exception IMHO would be medical related.
You never know when and for how long, so I plan for a full four seasons reaching below zero for extended periods. This is why I also practice in the dead of winter, and find that a snow cave, a quinzee hut or igloo are plenty warm when outside is well below zero.
As for the most likely scenario, besides regional natural disasters that frequently occur, I would think becoming unemployed and homeless are just as scary and realistic as any other ‘disaster’ or ‘catastrophe’ forcing you into an unplanned, but very real ‘bug out’ scenario.
I am not suggesting anyone intentionally fall into that category to test, but the homeless may be better prepared for a disaster than many other people, as they have been ‘living the dream’ or nightmare for which many are planning to deal with by bugging out.
They have dealt with mean hordes of street thugs beating them up, stealing their gear and clothes; they have no idea where their next meal will come from, or if they will have tougher competition at the restaurant dumpster later that night. It is very scary and humbling knowing there are meaner and tougher people than you out there competing for the better bench to lie on, the nightly disposal of table scrapes, or steam vent to stay warmer.
If you were to become unemployed and homeless, how will all the gear and stored items you have been stockpiling help you on the street? Why not take a two or three week vacation from work and realistically try it! I am sure it would be an eye opening experience. I would bet in a true SHTF setting there would not be any street corner you could stand at with a sign “My job was sent overseas” begging for handouts that would offer ANY relief.
there’s always something that can be added, swapped with another or tweeked somehow… as we live our daily lives(while keeping one eye on the things we consider indicators of tshtf), our lives and how we live them can and will shift… so our prepping will need to be fluid as well… we’ll each of us be done on that day we must live according to and with our prepping – that day wts truly htf…
keep your powder dry and very close…
I am reading from the U.K. and I would just like to say, I am about 90% prepared. I would say 100% but I haven’t sorted out my ration packs yet! but I am an ex-military, experienced survivalist. I am happy to help others and advise them on how to prepare
Friend me on FaceBook @ peterpmullarkey@yahoo.co.uk
I believe I’m am 98% prepared I will have all my preps for 1 year next weekend completed. Emotionally I’m a mess with what’s going on. I am on the Emergency Preparedness team at my church and there are only a handful of people preparing. I feel sorry for those with closed eyes. My family (me,my husband,and daughter) know everything in our bug out bags,our cars are prepared but I am not ready for it. Sorry to sound so pathetic but it’s scary.
Meli,
I do not believe anyone is ever “ready for it” and we can only be prepared as best we can for whatever “IT” may be.
Like losing a loved one that had been terminal for any length of time… you are somewhat prepared for the end, you get all the preparations lined up to make the transition as easy as possible, but you are never truly ready for it.
“So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34 NASB
“And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;” Rom 5:3-4 NASB
No one will truely be ready. But the human sprit. Is survival. As Moses lead all those people. Not knowin how he would do it. One thing he knew God. Had his back. And that go for us. We shall over come
Good point made above: even most preppers have no idea what they’re prepping FOR. It’s like preparing for an exam: if you don’t know what the topic is, let alone what questions might be asked, how the hell can you ever believe you’ll pass the test?!
I believe that the HOPE that whatever’s coming is a LIMITED CATACLYSM that’s basically about holding out until the calvary arrives [govt…] is not only foolish but also illogical; our genes must naturally go back MILLIONS of years yet mankind’s history only goes back a few thousand. WTF?! Right?
What happened to the people who were our genetic equals between now and, say, 1 million years ago?
Having considered this logic and common sense, you must respect your ancestors: THEY WERE NOT IDIOTS! And yet, they died… They did NOT die from a limited cataclysm! Mankind was thrown back into the stone age by SOMETHING. Unless you are a creationist… But then if that’s the case, you’ll probably be believing in some god to save you anyway, right?
Common sense is a powerful tool and appropriate guide. Our ancestors will have been building bunkers too. Yet, it did not suffice. They were lucky to get out with their lives, the very lucky few, and started over from scratch.
This is where i’m coming from. Common sense’ll tell you what to prepare for and it’s a game changer. It’ll throw mankind back into another stone age. Again. So what is so bad that mankind won’t even have steel anymore? No more glass, no rubber, no nothing. What could have caused mankind to start over from scratch? Perhaps many times already. THAT is most likely what you’ll face.
How does one prepare for THAT? Rule #1: location location location; where did mankind survive LAST time? That’s where i’m headed, for many reasons: Morocco. Caves. Anything else is wishful thinking and hoping against reason. Anything else is quaint.
I’ve camped a great deal with my family as a kid and love it. I love hiking in the mountains, I love cooking on an open fire. I am a survivor and I live day to day preparing to head out and just live off the land. I have a list of edible and poisonous plants. I have things to build fishing poles with, I run through different types of scenarios in my head constantly. Mentally and physically I am prepared for this because what most call survival, I call a way of life.