Where do YOU go from here?

[Lowdown3]

So we have never advocated panic or used scare tactics here. Quite the contrary we are normally telling people that "slow and steady wins the race" on your preps.

However let's face facts folks. Stuff in the world right now, both overseas and at home, is a mess.

Now this may or may not be a huge concern to you based on what you've been doing up till this exact point in time.

If you been actively preparing for six decades or something crazy like that, all the happenings right now may not be the slightest concern to you. Kudos to you!

However for the rest of us, especially those with perhaps maybe just a couple years under the belt and/or not fixed too well on our preps, I think we should be concerned.

Note that I did not say "freaking out", "running out and buying everything we can" or ANYTHING OF THE LIKE.

"Concerned."

I think a good use of the weekend/part of the week/sometime in the next week or so for most of us would be to look OBJECTIVELY at the real state of our preps.

Not with an eye to "well the stupid sheeple the Joneses next door don't have anything, so we are set with 2 weeks of food." But with an eye to considering that we will likely face increase in food costs over the next year or so, potential disruption of the transportation system, etc.

Forget the darn Joneses, are YOU where you need to be with your preps?

No one said panic, no one said freak out. No one said the "S was going to HTF tomorrow."

Concern.

REAL concern should lead us to objectively look at where we are at. That should lead us to take the initiative to better our situation.

The time for preparedness to just be academic is rapidly disappearing.

Lowdown3

[2682nscovell]

I hear you man...

My biggest concern right now isn't really preparedness. It's more along the lines of getting out of this area and moving west of the Mississippi River.

[Matt In Oklahoma]

The time for preparedness to just be academic is rapidly disappearing.

It's already gone and people at work are beginning to see and panic but still quietly so as others won't notice them and make fun of them. It's humorous and yet sad to watch as you know even they may not make it

[slingshot]

I've been prepping off and on for over 40 years, and I'm still not "ready." I don't think it's possible to be completely ready for anything. I have to say though, I've seen a lot of "scares & worries" over the years, but I've never had the intuitive sense of apprehension like I've had lately. Things just don't feel right, too many things are going in the wrong direction all at the same time. I wish I was better prepped. I wish I had not had the gaps in prepping that I've had. But, I'm in pretty good shape, compared to most people, but not near as well as some people. As always, all we can do is "hope for the best and prepare for the worse."

[rockriver]

a Christian friend was giving me unrequested "counsel" recently.
--
rr, reference your concern for God's judgement for our nations turn against Him, rr, folks have been saying that for 50 years and
He hasn't done a thing.
(i backed up and took a deep breath, thinking Father might just take that time to whip that insolent sole, and i was sitting nearby!)
then,
rr, and about this food storage business, there's no need for that. God will provide. rr, when you brought that food to the Church recently,
no one asked for that... we don't need it... can't you see that... there is no need..
rr, and this business about famines... surely you don't really think there is a famine coming...

bottom line to this post: there are a lot of folks that don't get it..
it's sad.
--
the wife and i just spent about 30 minutes checking supplies on a certain item... some was missing! but located. was actually just
placed in the wrong storage container..
--

lowdown, thanks. i thank you are exactly right.
God bless and may He lead you to help me! and a bunch of us.
rr

[Cimarron]

I don't get too excited either, but it's getting where I'm wanting to stay near some news source. Radio, TV, Internet, etc. just so I can stay up to the minute.
"stuff" can happen quickly and keeping current could be life and death..

[Matt In Oklahoma]

I walk into work this week and the first guy I see who very rarley talks to me says "better buy gold and silver". I say "better buy long term food and lead". He looks hard and long and says "hmm maybe your right" and goes about his business.

I go in and one of the midlevel bosses that I used to work for comes in and sits down with me. Weird but ok. He says "things are going to sh.., have you ever thought real hard about how long you would last if it all goes up?" I look at him, take a calculated risk and says "6-9mths just on what I have now without any additional collections". He looks stunned and says "wow I wish I were there!" We chat for a while and I begin emailing and now guiding him. I guess I will see if he is serious. I gave him an assignment of ordering the mylar/oxy stuff and getting 30gls water stored this week inside the house with full instructions on the how to. I told him I will help him but will not do it for him and preach OPSEC and tell him to watch the masters D69A series. The cost is negligable and the work not overbearing for a starter IMO. I'm still a Sgt but he was a soldier so he will understand my no Bravo Sierra attitude on it. I told him that I am chancing it on him because usually I don't because it just draws ridicule. He tells me he wont say anything and has respect for me because he has never seen me half a.. anything. We will see. I may have just created another knowledgable opsec issue zombie I will have to put down when SHTF. I pray not.

Later that day one I walk in to some of the guys and gals sitting and talking and one of my direct coworkers says "we were just discussing the current events with fuel and the mideast and other stuff. We are starting to think more like you." I laugh and say "but ole sarge is crazy remember? Dont worry girls your Government will take good care of ya, just sit and wring your hands". Several say "I know but we are starting to see though". I left cause they already had their chance with me and have been told what to do. I doubt any will even now.

3 things in one day from people I consider stable and normal, yep the panic is starting to set in. They are seeing the middle class dissolve just as I have across the pond before.
I pray it gets fixed, I really do because I don't want this for my kids but I am worried, real worried for the first time in my life.
God is great brothers and sisters, but we gotta do our part too, he expects it.

[Urban Survivalist]

I know what to do from here. Put your head between your legs and kiss your a$$..... Oh wait just prepare more.

[Patriotic Sheepdog]

Sams run planned for tomorrow. Bucket time a coming.

[Benn Gleck]

Just pluggin away , as usual.

Not freakin' out, more like concerned.

So many different things going on around the world it seems as if the pace of things has quickened and we are headed for a day of reckoning...... soon.

Pray, prep and persevere.

[protus]

Sams run planned for tomorrow. Bucket time a coming.

same here.gonna top off some areas...like TP and fem pads..maybe some more flufff items ( coffee in bulk, dried milk,oats and some wet packs to have for filler and rotation etc).

Im almost tempted to take my refund, get a small storage unit and fill it. I just need more O2's LMAO.Even the wife was on board with that half cocked whim of an idea LOL

[Noble]

I think a good use of the weekend/part of the week/sometime in the next week or so for most of us would be to look OBJECTIVELY at the real state of our preps.

Lowdown3

I will be doing that.


For me, balance is key.

Having those material food/ammo preps,
vs.
Mental skills
vs.
Faith in God's provision and plans.

If my home/preps are destroyed tomorrow by meteor, fire, whatever, I'm not freaking because I know I also have skills that I cannot lose, and also a faith that God will see me and mine through.

If one has preps but no (learned) skills they are out of balance.
If one has no faith in/relationship with God they are WAY out of balance, and preps and skills will do them no ultimate good.

[Bull]

Maybe you guys can help me. I'm a pretty intense and passionate person in all regards to begin with, so maybe this is just my way. I don't think it has been much more than about four months ago or so that I began really looking at this site and implementing some preps. I make pretty good money and I'm living nearly check to check because I'm spending nearly all of the extra on preps. I would really like some other things, but I just don't feel comfortable anymore buying them, at least until I get things a lot further along than I have them now. I work offshore 28 days, 650 miles from home, then get 14 days off work. I'm considering buying a cheap sailboat to make it home on if TSHTF, because my chances on the road could be very slim in my situation. The twelve hours I have off work per day I now spend exercizing, planning, or reading everything I can get that relates to every aspect of survival, and sleeping for about 5 or 6 hours. When I'm home, being that I spend 8 months a year away, it is somewhat difficult to pull off a lot of prepping without pi$$ing off my fiance and family. I can prep with supplies and what not, but not so much training because they can't really hang with me for that, or don't want to. Plus, it is nice to have some time with them doing other things. So I'm really busy at home and becoming more and more efficient with time management. I will now have much more time, as I became single a week ago, after 8 freaking years, so I guess the extra time to prep will be the up side of that, and help keep my mind of it as well. But I'm wondering if I'm becoming obsessive or something. Not because of my prepping, though. If the boat is sinking, you want to be obsessive about bailing the water out to keep it afloat right? So that is where things seems to be, or at least close, so my urgency doesn't worry me as much as my attitude, even though it might be part of the same problem, if there is a problem. I had enrolled in a technical certification course I had been wanting to do for a while, which could really help my career. I'm finding my interest slip from that to prep stuff lately. You know, rather than learning hydrodynamics and autocad programs for boat design I could be learning more about water treatment, alternative energy, and the millions of other things I would want to know if TSHTF. I catch myself feeling like there isn't much of a point. I think of things, not prep related, that would be nice to have in the future, like a nicer car, a boat, four wheeler, or whatever and it's like "dang, it would have been nice if I could have had that during my life". I don't want to say that I feel depressed, but the future just kind of seems hopeless sometimes, at least the future I used to hope to have. Now, I just kind of feel this impending doom of sorts, and the motivation to prep real hard to survive that. I guess it could be depressing if we reach TEOTWAWKI. I really had some big dreams. I think I'm pretty intelligent and stable, and when I look at the state of this country, it seems pretty obvious that we are headed towards an economic collapse, hyper inflation and all that goes with it. I don't think I'm over-reacting to the potential dangers. But it kind of sucks to think like the future is set, and that it means all these things I used to look forward to is gone in advance. What might have been, not what I'm looking forward to and working towards. Is this something anyone else has dealt with? Maybe there is just a better way to look at things to stay more hopeful or positive about the future. For now I'm just gearing up, learning, and training as much as possible. Maybe you can help me figure out "where I go from here."

[Matt In Oklahoma]

@Bull thats a double edged sword there for sure. I think you have to find balance between relationships, career, lifestyle in order to weather all types of things in life IMHO.

[arcangel911]

rr- God does provide. However, he gave you a soul, brain, hands, and feet. I feel that God has provided much, however is their not something in the bible about "he who helps himself"? Also, I look at the condition things are becoming and think he is sending some serious messages.