The Prepper Filter – 11 Questions That Will Help You Be A Better Prepper

by | Feb 7, 2013 | Emergency Preparedness | 299 comments

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    I was recently asked by someone in a conversation “What is a Prepper”?  I started to answer the question with a knee jerk reaction being that a prepper is someone with a cache of bullets, band aids and beans stored away in the event that the world shows signs of coming to an end via economic collapse, EMP events, Madrid earthquakes or other major disasters.  After a long pause, my definition came out of my mouth and it was that a prepper is simply one who prepares.

    This led to a short conversation spurred on by the person asking what they are preparing for.  We talked for a little bit and ended the conversation both a bit confused because they didn’t understand why someone would can meat when they can freeze it and I couldn’t understand how they haven’t heard about a power outage lasting for more than a week.  It was not surprising to see our conversation go in that direction and end the way it did given that upwards of 95% or more of the population just don’t see that there is any reason to think that society can break down, but what was surprising was the thought process I had that followed our conversation.

    Make no mistake about it; there will be a crash of some sort and depending on how far we fall will determine how bad it is.  We are a hand to mouth society far removed from the habits of our ancestry who stored food in their cellars, produced food in fields and gardens and had food producing animals out in the back 40 to sustain them.  Today procurement of food is completed via going continually to the grocery store, eating out and ordering in.  Virtually no one is paying attention to how long a person’s family will last if that supply chain is disrupted for any reason.

    So, what is a prepper?  That is an excellent question with limitless answers and in hindsight, although my initial definition is correct because although we as preppers are preparing for something, we are also preparing for the worst.  People with auto insurance are preparing for a car crash or accident.  People with life insurance are preparing for death.  People with crop insurance are preparing for a devastating hail storm.  People with house insurance are preparing for a fire.  While all of these things are bad situations, these people wouldn’t fit in the category as a prepper.  With proper insurance the majority can weather the storm and life goes on.

    I think what separates the prepper from the average Joe who buys insurance is the lifestyle of a prepper.  Preppers just think differently than most people.  Preppers are independent thinkers who instead of wanting to be taken care of, we want to produce and provide and sacrifice the now for the future.

    With the dollar continuing to be devalued through QEinfinity, people losing gainful employment or becoming underemployed and underpaid just to make ends meet and put food on the table, many are finding that there is too much month left over at the end of the money.  Choices have to be made by preppers yearly, monthly, weekly and even hourly on what to do with the limited resources we have at our disposal.

    I suggest to all preppers that they implement a prepper filter into their decision making.  Think of it as a hopper where all of our hearts wants and desires are dropped into the top of the filter including bills, food expenses all the way up to the new Harley.  There are stops along the way for each item where it either passes the test or it gets spit out the side.  For each item, decisions need to be made.  Whatever you want, put it through your personalized prepper filter to see if you really should do or purchase it.

    Create your own filter questions, but before you do, I encourage you to write down what your goals are.  Everything should be judged with the #1 question being “Is this going to help me accomplish my goals?”

    After food, water and shelter are taken care of; here are some examples of questions to ask before you make a purchase.

    1. Is this necessary?  Don’t fool yourself when asking this question.  Some things seem necessary, but life would go on without them.  Cable TV, smart phone…etc.  A vehicle is a necessity, but a beater will get you from point A to point B and settling for a lesser car can put thousands in your pockets that can be used for prepping.
    2. Can I get it cheaper?  Before you purchase a new pair of jeans for $30 to $50 (or more!) have you looked at garage sales and thrift stores?  Buying a pair of $5 jeans at a thrift store just saved you $25 that can be used to purchase over 30 cans of food marked down to 80 cents in the weekly sale.
    3. Will this be able to be used prior to a SHTF scenario AND afterwards?  Purchasing something that can be of use now and will still remain useful afterwards is the key here.
    4. Are there cheaper options available?  Sure, the shiny new decked out shotgun is sweet, but could I find a used one that I could pick up for less?
    5. Will this purchase take up useful time and replace it with useless time that cannot be replaced?  For example, to some, gaming systems are fun, but they take up hours and hours of your time and in the end, you haven’t gained a skill or accomplished anything, you’ve just grown older.  Avoid time sucking activities that have no meaningful return on your time investment.
    6. Can I learn something from this?  Buy a canner and learn the skill of canning.  This is a lesson that will save you money, will grow a yearning for learning how to garden and become more self sufficient and will save you a lot of money by being able to save food that might be thrown away before it becomes spoiled.  Buy a book on woodworking utilizing hand tools instead of the latest science fiction novel.  Prepping skills learned are an investment.
    7. If it is necessary and I find it at a good price, can I purchase more?  This can help with preps as well as save money in the future.
    8. If I need this item, but can’t afford it right now, what am I willing to give up to be able to put myself in a position in the near future to be able to afford it?
    9. Who says I need this?  Too many decisions are made to “Keep up with the Joneses”.  Children are excellent at playing the emotional strings because “Everyone in my class is going to the concert”.  No decision should be made because someone else is doing it.  If you have plenty of disposable income and extra, by all means, get $2,000 front row tickets!  But if it means you will have a great time and an empty pantry, get the artist’s CD and call it good.  Unless someone is actually paying your bills, their opinion on what you do or spend money on doesn’t matter.
    10. Can this hobby be used in a practical application?  Scrapbooking may be fun, but what does it teach you that will be useful some day?  I’m not a scrapbooker myself so maybe there is something I’m missing, but I know of people who spend hundreds of dollars doing this activity.
    11. Does this person identify with my goals, beliefs and will be an asset?  Let’s face it, you end up like who you hang around.  If being prepared is your goal, you need to guard the gates of your association and limit it to people who don’t take every chance they can to take verbal pokes at your prepping.  Find people who are encouraging to your goals.  People who have skills they can teach or are hungry to learn from your knowledge.

    I have heard the excuse many times from people that they cannot afford to prep, yet they have a satellite dish, the most expensive smart phone with data package, an X Box, drink coffee from Fourbucks every morning and I could go on and on.  I truly believe that everyone has within their capacity the ability to prep.

    Where we are today is a result of a series of choices we have made in the past.  The great part is that today is the first day of the rest of our lives and where we end up in the future will be the result of choices that we make between now and then.  Everyone makes mistakes, especially yours truly, but moving forward, setting goals and filtering lifestyle and financial decisions through a personalized filter will give us the best chance to be as prepared as we can be.

    I have said in the past that prepping is not a destination, it is a journey.  Everyone is at a different point on their journey, but we are all on the same path either learning from those ahead of us or encouraging those behind.  Don’t forget to have fun along the way and enjoy these days of plenty, but don’t lose sight of your goals in the process.

    As always,
    God Bless
    Norse Prepper

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      299 Comments

      1. Mac,

        God Bless you for all you do and for giving me a place to share the thoughts rumbling around through this empty noggin of mine!

        NP

        • @ Norse Prepper. You and so many others that spend your own free time trying to get people ready for what is coming is exactly what makes this site in the top 4 of all survival sites. I have mentioned this in regards to the sticken trolls that “attempt” to bring down the totally constructive comments that so many bring, on top of the articles that people contribute like yourself for everyone else to enjoy and learn from. Another nice piece of writing that many will give much thought to.

          I really feel that all of us have such little time left before the collapse, and everytime someone such as you writes something that is so revelent to ALL of us, it really helps us all to think and plan more. Every person that comments, other than these wastes of human life that attacks these really good articles, deserves a big thumbs up also. Hundreds of comments each time with such valauble information deserves a big thank you from all of us that are rapidly learning before…………..

          Thank you again Norse Prepper, I really enjoyed reading your article.

          • @ BI…Likewise and thank you. Your tireless work on quake predictions are priceless. Mac deserves all the credit because he is the Grand Poobah of the site, but like he has said many times, it is the collective contributions by all to this site that makes it what it is. And I agree, it is too bad there are some that feel the need to come on and bash the people on this site.

            It’s awesome to be part of a group such as this.

            God Bless ya,

            NP

            • I have been a prepper for a long time now, not because of the news or the national economy but because of where I live and my life style. When you live far outside of the city environment then you can’t just go to the store everyday, you plan your trips according to what you need and how much of it in order to last a while.

              My horses eat hay and grain, I couldn’t imagine letting my supply of feed get so low that I go out to the barn and guess what, the grain is gone or the hay is gone. Same goes for my kids, they love peanut butter and homemade jam, when we run out in the kitchen, the kids go to our food pantry to retrieve more, my kids think the food pantry is the store. When things start to get a bit low, the kids say the food pantry needs more food, not them.

              For us it makes sense to always have what you need when you need it. As for eating out, we hate eating out, the food is expensive and usually tastes like crap.

              We are expecting a couple feet of snow here but instead of running to the store to stock up, we just had to gas up the snow blower and make sure the shovels are handy.

              Thank you Norse Prepper; a lot of good advice in your article.

              • Saw a picture of a major Grocery store in Boston, wiped out! When the hell will they ever learn?

                • I live in the greater Boston area and I went to the grocery store lastnight for a few things mainly a dog bone to keep my lab occupied while I shovel (he doesn’t like if myself or kids are too far away from him).

                  It was a complete madhouse! People were in a mass panic. What perplexed me the most was that the isle with canned goods was completely FULL! And the fresh produce section was BARREN!

                  In line a woman in front of me had candles,wooden logs, batteries, flashlights and of all things half a dozen di giorno pizzas! I almost felt like shaking her and screaming how do think your going to cook pizza if the powers out? Your clearly buying provisions to live with out power. Why not buy some food you can eat with out refrigeration and an oven?

                  I went Into the store thinking this would be funny watching all the clueless people scramble as they were utterly unprepared but as I walked out I had a pit in my stomache. Most people will never hear it no matter how loud any of us ring the bell and they will perish without any idea of how or why this happened to them in a shtf scenario.

                  Lastly, I got some wine and whiskey and filled my propane tank. I’ll be good with or without power.

                  • actually Wolf,I cook my pizza’s in my propane BBQ grill.I am a prepper,country raised and believe it or not,they turn out good.With that said,those sheeple’s do need a good shaking to wake them up.Happy prepping ya’ll

              • I agree with you all !, i was raised as a prepper before the name prpepper existed, I grew up where if you wanted to eat you had a garden and you canned for the winter and until the next garden also you hunted for wild game to go with the raised game. you did as much as you could because you never new if the garden would be a bumper crop or just a little bit. I have been able to go back to this life style now for the last ten years and we love it. it is not a easy life, but very rewarding. hope others would wake up, but most are just too brainwashed to see the potential of what is coming.

            • Nice work, NP. Thank you for what you do here.

          • Great article, NP. I really do agree with you that MOST people can afford to prep – it’s just a matter of their priorities and choices. I think most folks here have their priorities straight, thank God.

            With beginners, time is getting short to get their homes in order. It’s getting tougher now, and the day is coming when the choices people will face will be keeping the electricity on or eating for another week.

            • Amazing how few seem to have gotten the message after hurricane Sandy. I guess some people are ok with the idea of going to a shelter (refugee camp), being told when and how much they can eat, who their daughter sleeps near, and when they can leave. A thinning of the herd is inevitable.

            • Right, Daisy, not to mention that food and everything else keeps getting more expensive.

          • Great story to wake people here up, they still believe the Gov will save them and we will always have food. Have 10 boxes of AR left will ship within 5 days, leave email if interested.
            Braveheart

            • Braveheart,

              You are right, I agree that many, many folks think the Gubmint will always provide, food, water, power, housing….you name it………thank goodness for sites like this one so ‘we’ don’t feel alone and isolated. We are out here man, and thank you for being out there.

              I’ve got probably enough AR rounds to feel pretty good about things, but saw your comment after your post. Probably already gone, but do you still have any rounds left?

              Thanks, and have a good and safe day,
              Malcolm.

        • Norse Prepper,

          Great article and great advice! Thank you.

        • My 78 yr old father-in-law still works his mules everyday, cans everything and keeps a “chicken bucket” (scraps for the chickens) in the kitchen.
          “It’s not how much you make, it’s how much you save” is a quote of his that always makes me think.
          He comes from good country stock so his words come from experience.
          Sound advice for everyone.

        • Norse Prepper,

          Great article. Thank you and thanks to Mac for the forum to show case it. The only thing I, disagree is to harsh, argue is that we also need to make time to smell the roses because one day the roses may not be there.

          BigB

        • I am one who really appreciates what others on this site provide for us out here that are busy and don’t have the time to think some things thru. I have learned sooooooo much!!
          I have benefited greatly and so has my family from this site!!! My family has confidence about our future, not about the govt., but about our preps! THANKS!!!!

        • Great article Norse!

        • Am I a prepper? NO ! I am an American who believes that the citizens of America should return to the ideals of our founding fathers. I am responsible for providing for myself and family ,not the Government. I will defend the Constitution of the United States of America from enemies both foreign and domestic up to and including the laying down of my life if need be. I believe in G-d and support all who do regardless of their religious belief. I believe in freedom of speech and the right to vote. I believe in storing food so that my family will not go hungry. I believe there is good and evil in this world and it is my responsibility to protect my family from evil. I believe in the constitution of the United States of America in it’s entirety. I believe that decent hard working Americans have been betrayed by Godless politicians who only care to advance their own political stature at the expense of those who vote them into office. Am I a Prepper ? NO, I AM AN AMERICAN PATRIOT !

          • Bravo justice. Well stated!

      2. Good questions… however – for me, it’s always boiled down to three items… food, water, and bullets… and not necessarily in that order… everything else is – and will be – negotiable…

      3. Praise god for my food stockpile!

      4. Mostly, I’m just trying to keep it quiet. After converting to the movement several years ago, I was like any enthusiastic novice and couldn’t wait to share this necessary outlook with everyone I knew. Friends, family, neighbors all heard about the new sites I’d found and the need to pay attention. Most of the family converted, a few friends and no neighbors who look at me like I’m deranged. I even caught two neighborhood boys breaking limbs off our fruit trees and laughing when I caught them. One of them told me that “My parents think you’re nuts”. Quite the wake-up call and I immediately shut-up. We’ve been watching for any signs of the government forbidding food hoarding and I’m hoping the latest small-town scandal dulls the memory of my stupid and naive outbursts. We’ve slowly built up a reasonable supply of food for four for six-nine months, depending on the season, and are trying to find a place to hide it. Next project is water. We have a well with nasty-tasting but potable water and are trying to figure out how to make it work after the grid goes down. SHTF Plan has been valuable and encouraging help for us. Thanks!

        • Vicky, they are a little expensive, but the Berkey water filters are phenomenal. Also, do a google search on home made charcoal filters. You basically can take ashes from a fire, put it between filters, pour water through it and it is potable.

          Anothe filter that I have found is excellent is the Espring water filter that Amway sells. If you have power it uses a 3 stage carbon block filter as well as ultraviolet light to purify water and kill any bugs that might be in it. It runs on a pressure system though so it needs to be connected to your house.

          I have experimented and if the power was out and there was no water pressure, you can connect the intake tube to a funnel that is elevated. By pouring water through the funnel creating a head pressure on the filter it will still function as a gravity filter.

          Before you take care of filtration, make sure you can hand pump water from the well. There are many sources of hand pumps for well casings that can work in a grid down sitution.

          Other thoughts are collecting stormwater runoff in rain barrels. A small amount of pool shock can treat thousands and thousands of gallons of water. Even a tarp elevated at the edges with a hole in the middle that drains in to a kiddie pool will get you gallons of fresh water in a rain event.

          Just some thoughts and thanks for the comment. All of the haters will be knocking at the crazy lady’s door when SHTF!

          God Bless,
          NP

          • Pouring water through wood ash is how you make lye.

            • Exactly, make soap……don’t drink it.

              Keep preppin’

              • also lye in an aerosol spray bomb is useful for AOSec.

            • What concentration lye does it make?

          • My bad. Was up late last night. I was thinking charcoal filter and was writing wood ash for some reason. Home made charcoal filters work, wood ash filters are figments of my imagination that would get you sick!

            I apologize and hopefully you haven’t tried it already!

            • Theres a few of us who have the pantry and the rootcellars full…barnyard full of edible critters and huge gardens and backup green houses…cant stand being dependent on anyone but the good lord and myself…its a good life…great article!

            • Haven’t tried it yet, but knew what you meant. Actually, the girls and I made an effort to make lye soap using the rather vague instructions in “Little House in the Big Woods”. Results weren’t great, but I’m now buying 3-4 bars of Fels Naptha or Zote each time I go to the store, along with a box of either Borax or Washing Soda. We’ve made very good laundry soap with that and I should have enough to last for a year or more. After that runs out, we’re back to Laura Ingalls and will try it that way. I have a fund for preps and it’s getting large enough that we can get a Big Berkey within the next two weeks. Hope things hold together long enough and I thank you for your suggestion. I also have what sounds like a working recipe for ladies hand soap called Rose Romance. It’s milk-based soap and if it turns out well, I’ll send a bar to Mac and one for Norse Prepper, Be Informed and Daisy. I owe you guys. God Bless you, too!

          • Thanks, Norse Prepper. You’re always so gracious. I will re-consider the Big Berkey as I thought it had to have quite a lot of pressure behind it to function. I have everything else mentioned and will experiment this week-end. You guys are great!

            • Vicky,

              The Berkeys do not require pressure. You pour in the top and get water from the bottom. Excellent products.

        • Vicki
          I really think you need to think about shifting as those neighbors who think you are nuts will be the first in the door in event of problems. They and other neighbors have probably had discussions on your “nutiness”….more problems.
          Have done the same as you and am ridiculed at work over my doomsday prepping…..but they all tell me they will be around in the event of problems. One said to me you wouldn’t let my children starve would you, as she waves to me from the latest 4WD and goes off on exotic vacations.I told her I would meet her at the door with my gun……that she had been given the warning,
          I am desperate to shift as I know they mean if the SHTF.
          As much as I like those around me I would NEVER EVER again warn anyone.

        • If you can afford a Berkey water filter system…GET ONE.
          We have sulfer water, and have had the 40+ years living here, so coffee tea, or any drink tasted like crap.. My husband started asking me what I wanted for Christmas, and I add to my “things” all the time, so told him that was what I wanted he could make it a bunch of presents due to the cost if he wanted. Received followed directions, dumped the first one it flitered and I havent looked back since. We have spent lots and lots of $$ over the years to get water to drink,,and this is the first that actually works. now the next is for another type of pump to get water out with out electricity, someting else everyone should do.

        • @Vicky….Remember the Sailors warning–LOOSE LIPS SINK SHIPS!

          Be careful what you say and to whom. Choose your friends wisely.

          What I find in today’s world is a hatred and jelousy towards conservative values. There is a large group of Americans that think we are the problem; the liberals have inherited the mess, from their viewpoint, and they need to fix what we conservatives have done to them.

          On water. Think rain-gutters and collection. My house has about 1600 ft2 of roof space. I calculated that to 4,000 gallons of water per 1-inch rainstorm. We get about 6 inches of rain per year, thus about 24,000 gallons from my roof that I let slip by and go back into yard. My problem? I have only 5 of those 5 gallon buckets. I need a storage tank.

          The Lord sends, and I am not collecting. What a dummy I am!

          • Ugly,

            Red skies in the morning, Sailors take warning.

          • We bought a 700 hundred gallon stock tank. We use it as a soaking pool on hot days in our hot southern summers but if shtf we will use it to hold water for home use.

        • Vicki, Hear you loud and clear. I tried to get several family members to understand, but got ridiculed instead. Then a neighbor had their well go dry. They asked me if they could shower at my house. I told them since I was out of town to turn the water on in the basement. Now between my relatives who know I have supplies and the neighbors who couldn’t have missed them when they were in my basement, I have compromised my OPSEC. Like you, I am looking for a place to relocate my preps.

          • Cameron, suggestion: keep only a 1/4 and no more than a 1/3 of your preps where there are. Don’t add to them instead, if you can (hope you have a barn or garage), dig a storage place and set preps under ground. The logic is to give the impression that you’ve used much of your preps already, they know you got em.
            People with pets and various other animals aren’t prepping for them either. These animals will become pests/varmites quickly. I have seen people that are barely providing for their animals, monthly. These people worry me more.

            • Thank you DRD. The preps I leave as is will be the stuff closest to expiration date, too.

        • Everyone speaks of a Berkey like it is beyond all means to even consider because of the cost.
          Gosh..$219, which I saved for before we started getting that S.S. check; and extra filters bought later, and an extra spigot in stock.
          This is why the article strikes home for me. My neighbor has cable, $80 + each month, but can’t have a Berkey??
          Her failure to prepare on her part is NOT an emergency on my part.
          No, I have netflix($17 monthly) not cable for over 4 years which is about $3800–folks, do the math.
          But, don’t you dare come to my house crying because you’re hungry–Lord help me cause I’m gonna need it to not go off on these selfish idiots–the ones that curbed their flower beds for $2200, but can’t afford a Berkey??
          Rant OFF!!

          • Added note–the $3800 in above is neighbor’s cost for cable, not my netflix cost.
            Didn’t proof read..Multi-tasking again. Gonna have to stop that!!
            In fact, curbing your flower beds does NOT eliminate the need to weed eat…ID-I-OTS.

          • JJ-Your neighbor is an ameteur sheep. My sister’s cable package is over $200/month.

        • Vicky,

          You may have other options or better information by now, but during my research for affordable/easy potable water (for now and/or rough times), I stumbled onto this link while looking @ Berkey filtration (read $$’s). Might want to check it out, hope this link helps and you get your water system worked out. Have a great day!

          http://shop.monolithic.com/pages/water-filters

          God Bless,
          Malcolm.

      5. Nice job NP!

        While the list is good, needless to say, there are many more. But, one thing that I’d like to add is something I was taught a very long time ago. This applies to life, business, and yes – prepping. And that is – “If it’s not moral, ethical, or legal, don’t do it!”

        I think that the demise of morals, ethics and keeping the law (especially the laws of God) are the biggest contributors to where we’re at today. If we would “look up” more instead of looking at what else we can get – we’d be a whole lot better!

        That’s just one of my 2 cents worth. 🙂

        • AMEN Anon

      6. Whatever shoes you wear, can you make your own pair? Do you have the means to make your own jeans? A few people on here can answer yes to one or both. As for the rest of us, when that time comes and things as prosaic as shoes and jeans wear out, do you plan to go barefooted and naked? While the getting is good lay in a supply of things you know you need. You may be a skilled carpenter or furniture builder with $25K of power wood working tools. What are you going to do when there’s no electricity? Do you have the tools and skill to turn a tree into boards and the boards into something useful … by hand? Get what you will need now while you can.

        • Anonymous6.8,

          I don’t plan on doing ANY prepping in this arena. I would like to suggest it would be a complete waste of anyone’s time.

          Unless you are writing from a 3rd world country then you are completely blind to the wold of immense material wealth around you. How many pairs of shoes do I have in my closet and storage? Probably about 10. How many are in the department stores? How many in 2nd hand stores? Same with clothes. Go into a second had store and great warm coats and shoes are $2. Why? Because they have no worth? No, because there is a huge (nearly endless) supply of perfectly acceptable clothes in this country. And there has been since the 50s!!!! What do you think consumer culture, advertising and fashion are all about? Endless piles of material wealth – goods, so how do producers get people to spend money buying more? Fashion, Keeping up with the Joneses, your not going to wear those old scuffed shoes are you?

          Anybody seriously thinking about survival should learn, and regularly think about scarcity – as economists define it. Only invest time and money in those things that will be necessary and scarce. Maybe your ideal is to craft everything from hand so that you could be dropped into absolute wilderness and rebuild society on your own a-la Robinson Crusoe. That is pure fantasy.

          Use what is available in the most efficient possible way… or you will be spending time hewing logs instead of feeding your kids when someone else just tears down their garage for the lumber they need.

          Raw materials, clothing, durable goods, shelter, all the stuff that doesn’t go bad in a decade or so, the US is so full of these that to spend any time on them is near pointless.

          What does go bad, what do we have shortages of?

          Food, Fuel, Expendables (bullets), Energy.

          Lets keep the focus.

          • Dumbdude–your post is great and true for old folks like me and my dh–but kids need all means of clothing as they grow.
            Yep–I have 10 pairs of sneakers bought on sale, 2 pairs of boots from flea market and yard sale–but my feet aren’t growing.
            18 or more jeans in a tote in the attic–but DH isn’t a growing teen.
            You get the point. We can stock up on shoes and jeans, heck all forms of clothing-heck, I’m rich in that area, but I don’t have growing babies and children.
            We get your point, and well made, but will we really get to loot these dept. stores when chit happens??
            Maybe not.

            • I have no small children or grandchildren, (they are all grown) but I collect kids’ clothes and shoes for those who need them when it hits.

        • anon, thumbs up. How you got 2 thumbs down is baffeling.

      7. NP….Good article. But ‘what is a prepper’ as you ask. It is like asking, ‘what is truth?’.

        How do we know north is north? Was there a Captain North that told us this is north? This spot marks eureka! Is there a south star for verification?

        If we go east and continue east, are we not really heading west? So if someone says for directions head east, did they mean go west?

        Somedays I just want to lie naked on mountainside and watch the stars go by. Who cares if the bear’s laugh or the moose frown. Freedom is not to hurt someone, but freedom is to be free.

        I’m not quite that free anymore. Anything I do is being tabulated by Big Brother.

        I played a silly game called the dollar. In that dollar it said Federal Reserve Note. This means I got a loan from a Banker. Whoever plays the dollar game, owes the banker. The banker generated wealth by printing it and then controlling it. I worked while the banker collected. You own nothing because the Note is a loan. Even your house, whether paid or not, is on a Reserve Note loan. They may come and get someday when the Nation does not pays its Note.

        I didn’t have to play this dollar game. I could have worked and bartered. I could have traded eggs for honey. I could have used the dollar as a resource, but not my ‘sole’ source for financial existence. Thus, here I am.

        A prepper is just someone doing what we should have never left doing. That is, working on a food system where barter had more power than coins. A prepper sees trouble ahead and does not want to be caught in a tsunami of financial ruins. Thus, you work around food.

        A prepper can make a living and an existence around a food system. A greedy central banker can hoard dollars, but tough to hoard garden potatoes.

        • @ Ugly, truer words have seldom been spoken.

          PS – Let me know when you are going to be up on the mountain, I’ll probably hold off on a nature hike that day!

          🙂
          NP

          • Oh, heck no–we want pictures!!

        • @ugly, you take pieces of paper too seriously.i have a new saying. possesion is 10/10ths of the law.

          • @eeder….thanks, and I know what you are saying. But, better late than never.

            @NP….I’ll let you know, thus you could use an alternate trail and still go for your hike. Hate to create any long lasting nightmares.

      8. In 1956, I was an 8 year old watching the news. The Soviets were invading Hungary. Hungarian men were laying down in front of the Soviet tanks, thinking that the people in the tanks were human and would stop invading their towns. I was shocked that the Hungarian men weren’t shooting back at the invaders in order to protect their families. I had grown up watching westerns where everyone was armed. I thought being armed was reality.
        I found out later that Hungarian men were disarmed and helpless. A famous picture in Life magazine further got my attention. It was two Soviet jack boots having hung a Hungarian man upside down in a tree and kicking him to death.
        In 1961 the Cuban missile crisis was in our minds as my step father put a few cans of food in a room in the basement. Still being young, I wondered how long the nuclear bomb fallout would last. Didn’t think the few cans would sustain our family for more than one meal. Maybe the blast would come and go quickly? I had no idea.
        So I joined the Boy Scouts and learned how to ‘be prepared’. In the above article, Norse Prepper says “prepping is not a destination, it is a journey”. True words. It has been my journey. It will continue to be my journey until I no longer have to journey. Bless you all.

        • Desert Rat, Around 1960 a Hungarian lady who had escaped the Soviets told a bunch of us kids playing in the street to never let the government take our guns. We thought she was sort of nuts, but she was trying to warn us, the next generation.

      9. I hate to put on such a depressing link to such a good article, but people have to read this. http://news.yahoo.com/calif-seeks-adopt-nations-toughest-gun-laws-220030130.html

        I live in california back in the 80’s and it was getting bad back then for people protecting themselves. Now, the state is turning into Europe. The more this spreads the worst the country is going to get. I know some people still there and they are afraid that soon they won’t be able to legally defend themselves anymore.

        • Coming at us from both sides. CA & NY.

      10. NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization is financially Collapsing before our very Eye’s –

        Europe’s Euro Dollar Collapse is Accelerating which means NATO Red Commie ZOG AmeriKa’s Fiat American Dollar Collapse is Accelerating as the two are the same intertwined in a incestuous orgy of NATO National Central Banks 10’s of Trillions of Dollars across the Atlantic Sea National Central Bank bail-outs debt consolidations and national debt monetization .

        So get ready. Prepare , your time is up !

        Even if you don’t have a penny in the financial markets, now is the time to prepare for what is ahead.

        We all need to learn from what Europe is going through right now. In Greece, formerly middle class citizens are now trampling one another for food. We all need to prepare financially, mentally, emotionally, spiritually and physically so that we can weather the economic storm that is coming.

        Most Americans are accustomed to living paycheck to paycheck and being constantly up to their eyeballs in debt, but that is incredibly foolish. Even in the animal kingdom, animals work hard during the warm months to prepare for the winter months. Even so, we should all be working very hard to prepare during prosperous times so that we will have something stored up for the lean years that are coming.

        Unfortunately, if events in Europe are any indication, we may be rapidly running out of time.

        What is happening to Europe Financial Markets and Euro Nations … Is now Happening Here in AmeriKa .

        Banker Greed and Traitor Politician’s out of control spending National Debt killed America .

        Cause and Effect .

        AtC

        • I have been watching Europe with great interest. I have two friends who are colonels in the military (1 army and 1 marine), and they won’t tell me everything but they have said repeatedly that we need to watch Greece and the European Union and when they fall into financial collapse we are weeks behind them.

          I heard a theory: Europe is like a guy in a canoe who is paddling down a stream and notices that the current is picking up and he looks ahead and sees a water fall. This scares him and he starts paddling to the shore to avoid going over the fall. Is it too late, will he be safe? Who knows, probably not, but he is trying to save himself from going down the water fall.

          America is in the canoe behind the European paddling faster trying to catch up…….

          Just my twisted view of the world, LOL.
          Keep your powder dry,
          JJsan

          • On another website, people were saying that perhaps in his second term of office, Obama would show his true colors and do the things he promised during his campaign. How odd… as soon as he took office again, he immediately took actions to remove a couple of our Constitutional rights. The elections took place in November. In December (Christmas)he made it legal for him and the military to pick us up off the street and kill us without due process. In January he began a campaign to take away our guns. Why would he make these 2 things his priority as soon as his second term began? (Especially considering there are so many problems in our country– still no jobs, millions on food stamps). What does he know that we don’t know? IMO, he sees chaos ahead and he wants to be damn sure he is in control. Not a good omen.

            • Cindy, Obama doesn’t see chaos, he is trying to create it. He has/was given a mandate to disarm us by a set time table. Don’t forget, he wants to stay in power for he doesn’t have a skill for survival outside of our labors.

          • I too have watched this American elitist inclination to act like/envy europe…people cant seem to understand there is a reason the founders cut ties!
            I was at a meeting a few years ago with a friend who was running for govenor of the state…someone in the audience was giving him grief over how far advanced europe was ahead of us in its social experiment and how America needed to adoptsome of their ideas…I couldnt help it I spoke up and said “being farther down the path to hell isnt exactly something to be bragging about my friend”…the room went silent and everyone including my friend looked at me…then all at once I saw him start laughing and agreeing with me and the room gave me a standing ovation with applause…. I meant it then and I still do today!…your view isnt all that twisted 🙂

        • I had a feeling this was going to be a dark year… debating whether to pay car insurance or use the money for prepping. time is short!

      11. A prepper is simply a person who has looked at what he has and asked: Where does the next one come from? (And isn’t sure he likes the answer.

      12. As a shoutout to the guy who had neighbors vandalizing his trees, have you installed a fence, or are you utilizing a paint ball gun to welt their sorry asses at range?

      13. Hey lo Hey low Snake Eater und Desert rat und al mi othore freindz

        Granney sayed i shudnah use thee terme neegroe anymor wen i rite hear
        Thee currect terme is colored purson nowe daze und is why I getz sew mani thumms downe she saye…

        Taday i gone a squirel hunten wit dat durn dogg I fownde in a dytch und dat nue gunn i bot frum mi naybore billy bob—fore too hunert dollore

        we cooke thee meet in an olde popcorne maker und Fri it upe reel gud —
        Lyke granpahh shewn us wen we wore yunguns

        Whooo—eeee!!! it twas tazety —I poored xtra sour grass hawt saus on myne
        Wit chitlen marmalade an sum of granneys chimi churry saus meyde frum
        Eegz baried in thee grownd fer too yearz
        We had sume pikled rattler snake as well it twas sublime!!!

        EARTHCAKE WORNING!!! Mye snakes wore acting all funly like so be alirt und be ascairte thee grownd be a shaken

        SUUNE. !!!!¡

      14. Priceless. Thanks.

        • In regards to the prepper who values producing and preserving their own food and the security that that entails, we are an anomaly of sorts at the moment.

          We look at history and we see a bump in the timeline, a bump that is now on the down side and falling fast. The odd thing is that we are normal, and the bump and everything that exists because of it, and will perish after it is the actual anomaly.

          At least that is my take.

          • “in regard to”, not “in regards to”

      15. Cause and Effect Lesson presentation

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jb4W8UJFgE

        Cause : The Bankers created trillions of fake fiat dollars , Crashed the Dollar deliberately , thereby Enslaved you and all your offspring and theirs for generations with Trillions in Banker created National Debt.

        Effect : Your $ucked !

      16. Good article.

        And thank you Mac for this website,and to the
        many, many, Wonderful posters that post here…

        Thank you.

      17. Thank you for this post, NP. And thank all of you for your wisdom, your suggestions, your dedication, and your company on this journey. I’ve learned much here, and I’m genuinely honored to stand beside people like you.

        One of my post-SHTF trade goods is going to be cigarettes. I buy tobacco and tubes at a smoke shop (the tobacco is labeled “pipe tobacco,” but only 10% of it is long-cut — they do this so they don’t have to pay the way-high cigarette tobacco taxes) and I have a Tops rolling machine. It costs about $15 a carton this way, and the cigarettes are even “healthier” as the tobacco is pure, not loaded with chemicals the way commercial cigarettes are. I figure that after the SHTF people will trade high for cigarettes, and the supplies don’t take up all that much space. So if you have no ethical problem with smoking, you might want to consider stocking up on these supplies for your future bartering.

        • I’m growing it. Seeds are cheap and hopefully a one time purchase. (Forgot to add that to my list earlier).

          I have two plants growing in the sun room which are surviving, but certainly not thriving due to the winter.

          I bought seeds earlier in the year and germinated a few to make sure they would be viable for the spring planting.

          I quit smoking, thank goodness, but I do ‘chew’ the Cope pouches, so I still have the nic addiction.

          Can’t wait for spring. I am going to intersperse mammoth sunflowers with tobacco.

          • @ Timothym

            Yeah, I know the feeling “Tobacco, she’s an unforgiving b_tch”, ain’t she? 🙂

          • smoked for over 35 yrs and i’ve been clean now for 4 months. you can do it you just have to take it one day at a time and nic cravings will get weaker. i still get the urge to smoke but its easier to tell myself no.

            • Congratulations, Mark! That is a great accomplishment!

              • That is indeed an accomplishment. Have tried 3 times to grow it here in N. Calif. with no luck and that is with the help of others on this board. Might be that I don’t have a green thumb. I have had a hard time with potato’s so maybe it is me. 🙂

              • daisy
                thank’s, it hasnt been easy, now my problem is i’ve gained 20 lbs. lol

                nomi

            • Smoked since I was 16 until my 40th year in august. that was 16 years ago..

          • I grow tobacco myself and yes, if grown properly, the seeds are endless. One plant can produce enough seeds for my purposes that will last for years. I’m growing mine in a greenhouse and all 3 varieties are doing quite well. I’m growing Havana, Virginia #2 and Turkish Izmir.

            Starting tobacco is a cakewalk too. Just load your starters with moist peat moss and sprinkle your seeds right on top, water and wait about a week, keeping the soil moist. When they first come up they are very tiny. After several months they grow out of control.

            The nicest thing I’ve found with tobacco is you can continually harvest off the plants for the life of the plant, after they get a few feet tall. The lower leaves will die anyway if you don’t harvest. Also, when they bloom, you should get a few dozen seed pouches that each contain dozens of seeds, some well over 100 seeds each. I had a single plant produce over 1000 seeds. Terrible habit, wonderful plants.

            • joerep, a good idea is to clip some of the lower leaves for more strength in in the plant they will be sucking up less resources and the plant usually grows even more crazy from there.

              • Thanks for all the info on growing tobacco.

            • Where does one buy tobacco seeds to get started?
              Thanks!

          • Remember to plant the seeds on the surface of the soil as they need light to germinate. Also, if you have enough property, get a variety of seeds for blends. They need to be heirloom varieties if you want to save seeds.

          • Me too. I am even trying to plant grains, legumes and sugar beers for my hens and goats. Animal feed is getting expensive. I think growing your own is a great idea.

      18. Question 12. Why survive?

        Before answering, I must say this. There are many calamities that could happen. I think most here feel economic collapse is the highest probability. So we’ll run with that one. But an EMP could just as well create a similar situation.

        Besides the chaos and death and difficulties. Once things settle down. The biggest reason is this. There will be freedom and opportunity. There won’t be an overbearing government breathing down our backs on everything we do. There won’t be bureaucracy with mile high stacks of paperwork to deal with. There won’t be a massive welfare system sucking the workers dry. If you don’t provide a good or service. Hit the road Jack.

        Not saying things will be easy. But with some modern technology and techniques. We can be self sufficient and have plenty of time on our hands. People will have laptops full of information. It’s not going to disappear over night.

        IMHO, when the economic activity ceases for what ever reason. There will be a massive die off. Everything we do on a daily basis has evolved over a hundred years. It’s going to take time to restart the economic engine that is America. Especially after coming off a fiat currency. No one is going to trust paper money unless they have a gun pointed at their head. There IS the possibility that some islands of government will remain. Living off stockpiles paid by the taxpayers they stole from.

        Is the new prepper going to want to hear this? Probably not for a while. At least until they are committed and immersed into the community.

        Tell me where I’m wrong.

        Sierra Dave

        • It is a tough call. There could be a massive die off, or we could be herded back into serfdom. With 50 million Americans already volunteered into serfdom (currently without any labor contributions) (food stamps) it appears likely the government will attempt to perpetuate that situation in order justify its existence and retain its authority.

          Although I truly hope for the die off. Even if I do not survive, I know those that will, will have a chance at a more free and prosperous life. Not necessarily an ‘easy’ life, but a free one.

          • The UN Agenda 21 goal is a die off of “useless eaters”. I would guess the FEMA camps city folks and others depending on the government will go to will suffer an epidemic with high mortality rates. They need only a small portion of the current population to sustain them.

        • wrong ;0P … very sorry “hopeism” is for goyim gentile suckers and prey .

          this will continue till 2050 its part of their global eugenics human population death plan .

          the illuminati globalist luciferian zionist freemason jesuit plan is to wipe out 90% of the global population with continuous man-made global

          WAR
          DISEASE
          PESTILENCE

          we are now entering THE AGE OF GLOBAL CHAOS AND DEATH for profit .

          now … this coming spring 2013 is a good time to move to a secluded remote town or out into the rural country near fresh water source where you have room to grow food raise food livestock .

          for your safety please buckle your seat belts keep all parts of your body head hands and feet inside the car at all times .

          its gonna get ugly here real soon .

          War is Coming to America Soil , there will be mass Death Blood Heart-Ache and much physical pain before Freedom again raises her head up to the sky to feel the sun once again freely upon her face .

          prepare , the four horsemen – Conquest War Famine and Death soon will be here .

          AtC

        • Sierra Dave,
          Whom, do you think, is the greatest prepper of all?
          Whom, do you think, will outgun everybody?
          Whom, do you think, is planning the Cause and Aftermath?

          I predict; The democracy we know, will turn into a Beast.
          That is why I advocate organizing the preppers. But, the preppers are divided into the religious and the secular. Those who want to return to the constitution, and those who are sitting on their collective waiting on Jesus, in apathy and complacency. Then there are those willing to take it to the next level, the question being; What comes after?

          In any chaos situation, the PTB will become the biggest baddest guy on the block. Gangs will become warlords. But, this is the Madmax scenario, the least likely, and only after a major event of Earth shattering proportions.

          The most likely event will be economic, and that means the PTB will move towards total control.

          The only way to win and economic war, is shared logistics and common cause. Their must be moral authority higher than the daily walk of life, and this can only come from a higher philosophy that all come to agree on; The Constitution was this in the beginning.

          Now, we see The Flaw in it. We gave up a aristocracy of royalty and replaced it with an aristocracy of money. Our ‘last great experiment’ in men governing man, was an epic failure like Greece or Rome, because of Greed and control. This always, always, comes about because of CENTRALIZATION of POWER and MONEY. Centralized power attracts evil like moths to a flame. But, there are those who don’t even believe in evil, evil’s greatest trick.

          Most of our problems, as men, has to do with the concept of ‘mystery’. We are all trapped in a dark Universe, and it is full of mystery and lies. This is the reason for the necessity of the Unified Field. Which delivers the meaning of good and evil, quantified in the Primal energies of creation. The nexus of Science and Religions of men. All of which, are merely philosophies of MYSTERY and ‘mysterious phenomena’.

          The Constitution was a midway point between the two, a kingdom or a theocracy, but was set up by the rich men, who gave us a semblance of God given rights, and retained the final right for themselves; The Ownership of money, that they RENT to us. Thereby retaining control of the aristocracy.

          Thus, in any rebuilding, it must be understood, that men cannot govern man, without the precepts of a higher moral authority, anything else, results in chaos and misery. The French revolution is a good example of what happens when FEELINGS take charge. The US Revolution was an example of what happens when the MIND takes charge…

          In any new system, it must be recognized that minds without hearts, as one, becomes either a cold dark place controlled by rich men… or, a cold dark place controlled by committees of idiots.

          Thus the Unified Field defines everything as interactions of energies, light and dark, minds and feelings, that must come together in; Unificationism ( a new word), that both defends the Earth and her dwindling resources, defends men of mind who produce new things, and defends the weak, the old, and the cripple. Everybody else, must work, or not eat. The scriptures say we will go down in money failure, and a Beast system to come after, and possibly, a global imposition of Islam as the one world religion…. the religion of Darkness, with a new money of electronic digits and a global identity chip or Mark, in your hand. The trends support this conclusion.

          Thus the only way for the ‘good guys’ to suruvive, thrive and disappear, is to go outside the System or “into the wilderness”. And some, will come out the other side to; “pound their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks, and neither shall they learn war, anymore”. This is the turning of old things into a new thing, with new purposes.

          But we must all, acknowledge, that there is a higher moral authority, call it God, call it Primal Energy, call it Tao, call it collective consciousness, it matters not, it is there, and we respond to it. To acknowledge it, and give it precedence, in the rights of men, money and Earth, is the key to a future of Joy, the ultimate meaning of Life itself.

          This concept is written on my site as one of several articles, the Constitution of the Confederation of the Kingdom of God. It is merely a starting point for debate, so that the Good buys, will have something to fight the Bad guys. The Elect against the Elite, this will be, in one form or another.

          Evil is as evil does, and they organize while we go our separate ways. They centralize, we decentralize. This decentralizing is the focus of the Revelation of the Holy Joke, the New Song of the God Calculus in the Unified Field, ultimate individual liberty must be codified, but first, it must survive and defeat the evil. This can only be done by the Hands of Justice, Justice Enhanced by Direct Intervention; JEDI. This is The Remnant.

          May the Force be with you.
          🙂

          • PS:
            For the ridiculers. Think.
            What would happen if the Evil ones understand what you are doing? The reason nobody organizes? The Fear that dominates is the fear of penetration, eh?

            But, if evil thinks you’re ‘nuts’ and just a bunch of kooks, and doesn’t understand or ‘get the joke’, and laughs at you and turns their attentions towards more ‘serious threats’.

            What, pray tell, can be more safe, than The Joke?

          • Piper: “Thus the Unified Field defines everything as interactions of energies, light and dark, minds and feelings, that must come together in; Unificationism ( a new word), that both defends the Earth and her dwindling resources, defends men of mind who produce new things, and defends the weak, the old, and the cripple. Everybody else, must work, or not eat. The scriptures say we will go down in money failure, and a Beast system to come after, and possibly, a global imposition of Islam as the one world religion…. the religion of Darkness, with a new money of electronic digits and a global identity chip or Mark, in your hand. The trends support this conclusion.”

            I agree that scenario is coming but I don’t believe the final 7 year tribulation will occur before the 20s. The fall of America comes first and that could be as early as this spring and probably no later than 2 years. The Beast system will evolve slowly enough to not totally give away their agenda (ie the Mark), but I think the electronic world economic system will be the first thing we see them do. It will make sense when both the euro and $ collapse.

            • Journalist,
              Exactly… my timeline puts it at about ~’27
              Which is derived from the original Zero point, 0A.D.

              If Rome screwed up, and should have set the time at the birth of the spirit, instead of the birth of the body, then that adds 33 years to everything.
              Which would put the TRUE millennium at 2030-35. If Israel was reborn in 1948, that would be less than ‘one generation’, till all these things are accomplished…

              2013 is the turn point methinks… the beginnings of monetary system collapse of the black horse and the new thing, which could put us into the time of jacobs trouble and the dark day that’s coming. This could all be scientific and rational, if, one’s concept of space-time included an Aether, and the makeup of that Aether was dark energy.

              Earth, is a planet in a system, that rides the Galactic Rift, the sewer pipe of the Galaxy. We fully entered it in December ’12(the New Cycle), it could take 20 years to reach maximum saturation/tectonic/mental stress. My page; Something wicked this way comes, is speculation, but based in the Aether of Einstein, and its possible results, which predicts many things of prophecy… including many of BI’s and JOG’s observations… which, align with prophecy EXACTLY.

              If any prophecy is of God, then it must come true after a fashion. It is usually only afterwards that we can see it, unless we are wise. But, I don’t predict the day or hour, only the times and seasons. But when a math, predicts a prophecy… well… I pay attention. Like I pay attention to BI and JOG’s work.

              Just one note; My recent star observations note a slight increase in the sparkle and burst coefficients, with what appears as a marked increase in the down radials. Maybe my telescope and eyes are bad, but this is an indication to me of ‘signs in the stars and heavens’. The radials are confirmation of the Aether and the spiritual geometry of Pi.

              Others may ridicule if it makes them happy.

          • Piper Michael,

            Excellent post! I have for quite some time looked at unified theory, quantum physics, and string theory to strengthen my religious beleifs. If anybody objectively, whether a believer or an atheist looks at these theorems and the physics of the universe it is impossible to not see intelligent design weaving the fabric of the universe like a great tapestry! Everything is not random chaos but a finely tuned symphony working in harmony.

            What I’m looking forward too is if the large hadron collider will find the higgs particle (the god particle). My money is on they wont and if that’s the case the holographic principle will take center stage! I’d like to see people’s heads spin when they start hearing that!

            I enjoyed your website too. Keep up the good work!

            • Thanks Wolf,
              The holographic principle has already taken root with me…
              the proof is in the math and the experiments. Stay tuned, if I can crack the demon in the dark, hysteresis, we’ll have a new electrics to take God’s Elect(ric) forward.
              😉

      19. Many thoughtful insites Norse Prepper, good work.

        Prepping most certainly is a journey, guided by an

        everlasting hope toward the future. Best wishes to

        you and yours.

      20. Great article NP. I guess I never gave it much thought I just do it because it seems like the right thing to do. 20 years ago I would tell people that if a person had a few acres a house and chickens, and a garden they wouldn’t have to go to town except to buy toilet paper. Now I have all of that plus lots of tp.
        I wish I had words that would convince others that prepping is so liberating and can create enough peace of mind that a person can smile at problems rather than panic. Peace.

      21. I know you’re all dying to put on your camo gear, your balaclavas, and your AKs and run out in the streets screamin’ “alright you bastards, lets get it on!”

        I cant wait for the chaos. 🙂

      22. NP,
        I completely agree with you. I would sell both of our game systems and all the games if it were up to me. My husband would not be happy. Expensive coffee? Nope maybe once a year. My friends think I’m crazy, except one who says she coming here ( she lives 1000 miles away) which she won’t be able to get here.
        What am I preparing for? Whatever, nothing and everything. I think our financial system is at the top of my list.
        Do I really need it? I ask myself that whenever I buy something over $1.00.
        We lost $200.00 in food from our freezer when we were without power for 3 days. That will not happen again. We could have taken it to a friends who had power but he was sure the power would come back on. Now I have a generator and enough gas to keep the freezer cold until we eat or I can the food. The money spent was well worth it.
        Thank-you for this article, I really think so many people buy buy buy without thinking about it. I know I used to.

        • Watch out with the gas. make sure you cycle it back into a vehicle and replace it like you would canned goods. Gas goes bad, turns into sludge.

          • Not if you use StaBil. I’ve got gas in storage five years that will still run my tractor. But do avoid gas with ethanol in it. That will attract water and separate and the water can clog your fuel system.

          • Timothy,
            Funny you mention gas rotation. Just did it yesterday. Three 5 gallon stored went into the truck. The trick is to remember to then refill the containers in a timely manner.

            • But, but, guys !!! It’s so much easier to pull in at Swifty’s and let them do it!!
              Sigh.

            • I always forget to rotate in a timely manner so I throw a little bit of stabilizer in the cans so when I finally remember the gas hasnt been completely degraded.

        • If possible I would recommend Goal Zero’s Yeti 1250 solar generator. Recently went through a two day outage and was excited to try my pair out. Running two of these as a system to maintain safe temps in the freezer.
          After the power was restored, I continued this way for 5 more days with no issues, and even got in a load of laundry, kept my phone and iPod charged also.
          I don’t use the to power lights though, I recommend candle lanterns with cheap, long burn candles.
          If I could afford a third I wouldn’t think twice. Completely silent and no fumes. They’re pretty heavy but come with a cart.

          • The prefab “solar generator” sets are quite pricey for the amount of power you get. Part of what you are paying for is ease of set up/break down. Buying panels, charge controller, etc. and assembling it yourself is not rocket science.

            • If you attribute the extra cost to ease of setup and operation, you are selling the equipment far short of its value. Zero noise ensures opsec and no one will know my freezer is running, and I can still hear them coming. Gas gens are invitations for thieves and desperate people, wouldn’t use one even if I had one.

              I can both use and store it inside, no worries about poisoning the family. No need to store or spend the money for large quantities of gas (makes up $ difference) or worry about keeping it stabalized.

              Pricey, yes. Worth it… every penny.

      23. @ Be informed;

        As a high-schooler in the early 60’s California was the

        trend setter for the nation. “As California goes, so goes

        the nation” was the saying then. Don’t know if that still

        holds true today or not. I truely hope it doesn’t when it

        comes to their draconion gun stance. Stay safe and aware.

      24. Northeast getting pounded by snow and wind today.We have known its coming for 3 days at least.Lets see how many people end up in shelters or being rescued because they just dont get it.

        I,on the other hand,am gonna enjoy the quiet,knowing I could ride out a 2 week snowstorm,easy!

        Take care,fellow planners and users of common sense!

      25. NP you did good, and thank you for caring about your fellow man.

        • Thanks PR. Love the handle. I’ve been an Eastwood fan since I got my first cap gun. Outlaw Josey Wales is probably my favorite of the spaghetti westerns. Just watched Pale Rider the other day!

          NP

          • NP: You are VERY WELCOME.

            NOMI

      26. Hi NP,

        Kudos for a job well-done!

        In reading the article I personally was struck by one very specific
        component thereof. In your attempt to explain WHAT a prepper was you were
        set back to re-evaluating – yourself – what that means. From time to time,
        it is surely the case that each of us must ‘re-center’ out own thought by
        virtue of the distracting nature of the act of living itself. How many
        times have you gone to the store – for example – to pick up jsut a few
        specific things and once there found that instead of the 15 minutes it
        should have taken to walk the isles, collect the items and then proceed
        through the checkout, that when you finally won free back to the parking
        lot it was an hour and ten minutes later: Kige yoo is exactly like this.
        The tightest finest focus fails in the face of the myriad distractions
        everywhere around us daily….as foes our over-arching focus on ecavxly
        ‘WHAT’ is actually important. In reading through the piece I asked myself,
        “Have I lost sight of the important things lately; have I swerved without
        realizing it?” Over the next few days that wil percolate through my thought
        and hopegully I will there and then stand once again on ‘firm ground’ having
        stopped and re-evaluated the path ahead…as you did yourself prompted by
        one, simple question.

        My thanks Brother, the occaisional “Yo!!, JOG!!” is both needful – for
        ALL of us – and very much appreciated!

        “Aye Captain, the fog has lifted…we’ve a clear bearing now and a
        true line ‘pon which to bear, smooth sailing through to the Dawn…”

        JOG

        • JOG pounded out, “Kige yoo is exactly like this.”

          That happens to you, too? And here I thought kige yoo only happened to me…..

          🙂

          • Hiya Zoltanne,

            Long time, no ‘see’..hope your doin swell!

            Ah, yes,

            The phrase, “Kige Yoo” reputedly attributted to the First Chinese Emperor when dealing with an ancient sage master of the art of ‘Fu Kain’…after long and careful study of the techinques involved the Empereor noted the great difficulty involved and continued his efforts to master the art thereof as applied to the abbacus at hand….still the true mastery eluded him as getting his fingers into the neccessary triple-curl twist-left configuration was simply more than he could do, wherepon, in obvious frustration he muttered ‘Kige Yoo”

            Now, you have to admit…THAT’s piling it DEEP, ain’t it? 🙂

            JOG 🙂

            • JOG, always wondered where the phrase originated from….

              Guess we have a Red Thumber with a case of heartburn over it. Boy if they can’t handle the little oddities here and there, how will they get by when the EBT runs out? Oh my!

              🙂

              • OHYEAG…Hahahahaaa…Tank’s Hon…Good one, on ALL points!

        • Yo!! JOG!!! Thanks. I actually hope that we can kick the can down the road another year or two. I have sooooo much left to do and still feel so unprepared. I know I’m better off than the vast majority, but have lists of lists of things yet undone.

          I’m actually starting my first garden this spring and can’t wait! Tilled it up last fall. Even my wife is looking foward to it! +1!!

          Thanks for your input and I always appreciate the positive banter between the regulars. Too bad we weren’t all neighbors…or maybe we are!

          In any event, you are an asset to this site!

          God bless,
          NP

          • Howdy Bro,

            I also was hoping that we could kick that old can down the road a bit more…but I’ve just stumbled over something that gives me pause. IF I asked you the question,

            “How do I – or anyone else successfully “STEAL” a trilion (or more) dollars…

            how would you respond?

            To my everlasting horror, I actually figured out how that could be done a week ago. Suffice it to say that the answer will bring none here any peace. I have an email into Mac and am waiting on his reply before forwarding it in, please be patient till then. In the meanwhile, I PRAY all here, to ‘Prep like there is no tomorrow’…when you see this you’ll understand.

            Incidentally, the usage of ‘Kige yoo’ as referenced abobe is NOT the same as in my earlier reply to you. 😉
            Stay strong Bto,

            NOMI…EVER!!!

            JOG

      27. 10. What Zionist and Anti-Zionist Jews Have Said About: The Zionist New World Order

        (The ‘historical accounting of the Jewish people’)

        In the Cabala the concept of world-dominion is even more noticeable than in the Talmud (and the original Talmud is pretty strong stuff). The Zohar accepts it as an accepted fact. It states, The Feast of Tabernacles is the period when Israel triumphs over the other people of the world; that is why during this feast we seize the Loulab and carry it as a trophy to show that we have conquered all the other peoples known as ‘populace’ and that we dominate them. The Toldoth Noah, folio 63b, De Pauly’s transl., p. 373

        We must therefore deduce that this is an auspicious time to conquer the world with Torah and Yiddishkeit in a pleasant and peaceful way: ‘All the land is before you.’ Bereshis 13:9, “Conquer the World with Torah: A Message to the Shluchim Convention,” 5747, Sichos in English, vol. 33, p.270

        The main avodah of this generation is to go out to the final war of the golus, to conquer and to purify all the gentile countries… Shabbos Parshas VaYelech, 5746

        [After the coming of the Jewish Messiah] Jews will force all non-Jews to make them practice at least those precepts named Noachites [so non-Jews will also be forced to undergo circumcision] and kill the unwilling ones. Maimonides, The Third Rule, Characka P. 4, C. 8, N. 10 (Maimonides says this law was given to Moses by God himself)

        The great ideal of Judaism is that the whole world shall be imbued with Jewish teachings, and that in a Universal Brotherhood of Nations ‑‑ a greater Judaism, in fact ‑‑ All the separate races and religions shall disappear. Jewish World, February 9, 1883

        The Jews will use all their influence and power to prevent the rise and prosperity of other nations and are resolved to adhere to their historic hopes; i.e., to the conquest of world power.Dr. Mandelstam on August 29 at the opening of the Zionist Congress of 1897, Le Temps, Paris, September 3,1897.

        The Jews energetically reject the idea of fusion with the other nationalities and cling firmly to their historical hope, i.e., of world empire. Dr. Mandelstam, professor of the University of Kiev, Russia, at Basel Zionist Congress in 1898, The Foundations Of The Nineteenth Century, by H. S Chamberlain, Vol. I, p. 335. Also p. 221 of Democracy And World Dominion.

        There must be a proper lookout for the civic and political rights and the status of Jews in various countries unless there be established a power above all nations . . . Jewish hopes for the future depend on two linchpins. One is the League of Nations idea, and the other is the British Government, and we need scarcely say that we refer to Jewish hopes in the widest application of the term. The Jewish World, London, January 15,1919 (No. 2392), p. 5

        The world revolution which we will experience will be exclusively our affair and will rest in our hands. This revolution will tighten the Jewish domination over all other people. Le Peuple Juif, February 8, 1919

        In the management of the New World we give proof of our organization both for revolution and for construction by the creation of the League of Nations, which is our (Jews) work.

        Bolshevism is the accelerator, and the League of Nations is the brake on the mechanism of which we supply both the motive force and the guiding power… What is the end? That is already determined by our mission. International Banker discussing the probabilities of a super-government to a gathering of Zionists in Budapest in 1919, quoted by Comte de St. Aulaire

      28. Message to the ZNWO bankers, all war criminals and their collaborators:

        You who deny us our prosperity,

        you who deny us our family life by making us work longer and harder for less,

        you who deny our children their mothers’ care,

        you who deny our disabled and elderly decent care and dignity,

        you who imprison our children for the enjoyment of a harmless herb that has already served humanity well for thousands of years while at the same time allowing the pharmaceutical mafia to drug them with the worst kind of mind-destroying chemicals,

        you who deny poverty-stricken farmers viable seeds while promoting harmful GM crops for corporate profit,

        you who deny us our health so we can be robbed and poisoned by the pharmaceutical mafia,

        you who put stupefying, mind-dulling, and physically damaging neurotoxins like and Aspartame and MSG in our food and drinks,

        you who are about to deny us beneficial concentrations of food supplements like coenzyme Q10, Omega-3 fatty acids, herbal preparations, and beneficial quantities of our vitamins and minerals, while adding a variety of toxic chemicals to our food and drinks so we will die before we grow old enough to collect our social security and pensions,

        you who poison our drinking water with the highly toxic mind-destroying agent fluoride,

        you who poison our air with chemtrails containing pathogens (name derived from the Greek language, meaning ‘birth of pain’.), like crystallized (‘weaponized’) mycoplasma, a disease agent causing illnesses like AIDS, Alzheimer’s disease, Crohn’s colitis, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, Type I diabetes, Wegener’s disease (and as it seems, the very scary and obviously manmade Morgellons disease),

        you who engineer and spread diseases to cull humanity,

        you who create divisions amongst the people to fool them into sending their children to the frontlines of your engineered wars,

        you who masterminded 9/11,

        you who allowed it to happen,

        you who have destroyed Life in Iraq and Afghanistan for the next 4.5 billion years with Depleted Uranium,

        you who deny us our clean air, clean water and natural environment,

        you who ruin our climate,

        you who ruin the future of humanity,

        you who ruin this planet,

        I have a message for all of you:

        THE TRUTH IS OUT, YOUR END IS NEAR, YOUR TIME IS OVER.

        The days when you were able to hide your heinous crimes, terrorist acts and perversities are over.

        In these digital days you can’t pull a clumsy 9/11 job anymore without being exposed to the masses. The analogue days of Pearl Harbour, the sinking of The S.S. Sussex, the Gulf of Tonkin, and Operation Northwoods have long gone.

        9/11 marked the beginning of your end. The truth is spreading among the people and can’t be suppressed any longer.

        You might think you’re on the verge of your victory, but your defeat is imminent.

        • Peter–that deserves about a hundred thumbs up–thanks fellow prepper and yielder of truth.

          ‘His job we can not do; our job He will not do.’

          • OYVEY! aftr so much Proof of these pure Evil intentions everywheres they infest, they still keep asking Why! Why do they keep getting Booted from every nation they infiltrate?

            Fuckin Nationwreckers. Graduated now to Entire World wreckers. Keep waking other folks..Tic-Toc.

        • Message to a Nazi catamite: sod off and die, you knob-gobbling Stormfronter. Your walls of text and sock puppets aren’t welcome. When the SHTF, you swastika-humpers will be among the first thugs and raiders we’ll have to weed out and execute for treason. Don’t expect a proper burial either: our dogs will be hungry and need food to eat, and there’s a lot of good eating for dogs on a fat lazy racist Nazi’s corpse like yours.

      29. Off Topic: I finally got a hold of Manos.

        He’s okay. He told me that he and his family have what they need to survive, but that the situation is very grim. As JRS mentioned, the sailors are indeed on strike, so nothing is going on or off the islands. If something isn’t there, it is no longer accessible.

        He asked me to post this message for everyone.

        Stay alert.

        what started in Greece, was the beggining of a global experiment.

        All measures were implemented without reaction or resistance, with the excellent use of the psychology of masses, and the “divide and conquer” dogma.

        Voices of reason and logic were condemned as terrorists.

        Be safe dear.
        Watch your kids.

        Our kids is the future.

        (I’ve pasted this from the comments on the last article so everyone gets a chance to see it.)

        • Thanks Daisy

        • Thanks Daisey,

          I was actually gonna ask the room if anyone had heard from him?

          JJsan

        • Thanks Daisy,
          I was wondering yesterday if any one had heard form him.
          RW

        • I’m confused, isn’t what is going on in Greece EXACTLY what needs to happen everywhere? Governments need to stop propping up reliant masses using money and resources stolen from hard working people?

          People need to take control of their means, start growing food where they can and eeking out a living. Otherwise they will be the cause of the downfall by legitimizing governmental powers and begging for a big brother, welfare state.

          I thought that was what Ron Paul was all about. Cutting the pork and getting our government back in line.

          Although I could be wrong and this could be the result of something else, but if these people were growing food I don’t think they would be so desperate for handouts off the back of a truck.

          • @ Timothy,

            Too True Timothy, point for point, THAT IS what needs to happen everywhere…only then can the ‘system’ actually be reset. The only problem with that is that no sane, ethical person can actually look into the Human misery to come in any such thing and not wish to hold thier head’s in the hand’s and weep in grief…still, it WILL happen, very much sooner, I think, than anyone actually suspects.

            May He have Mercy on Us all, Amen.

      30. Like that reference to the decision-making “filter” — there’s sound logic behind that! Being prepared really involves personal awareness, some organization, and well-defined priorities. Before all of this “prepper movement”, there were well prepared individuals who had extra supplies, extra food, and the ability (and sense!) to plan ahead for what-if situations. For sure, many of those who walked before us were better prepared because it was more of the lifestyle that America once embraced. Fortunately there is an upswing into preparedness, and it’s doubtful that all of this activity is fad-based because more and more Americans are waking up to the dismal reality of our uncertain future.

        Even though we grow most of our own foods, we stock additional foods and lately, the gut-feeling and current events have been so overwhelming that we are ramping up for a larger supply of foods and critical items. Many here have mentioned this gut-feeling and the global situation is looking more and more ominous, almost unthinkable. So we continue to stack higher. Beans and grains are, of course, some of the best food items to store long-term and since dry beans take quite a bit of land/garden to grow a sufficient/yearly supply of, we will keep buying more and more beans. We do grow out chickens, rabbits, and pigs, but we plan with redundancy in mind: two is one, one is none.

        We have upped our food supply to include family members about a year ago and grew it to the 3-4 year mark for 8 people, NOT including any re-supply with homegrown foods. At this point, better preparedness would be prepping for a 10 year stretch with the bare minimum of beans and grains, plus homegrown foods to subsist on. Working into our equation are two aging parents who, at 80 and 82, are nearing the end of their life cycle regardless of world events. Even as healthy as they are now, they are aging and their deaths are a reality which will affect our food supply. (I’m sure others may have this situation to plan on, too.) So we’ve been re-defining a few set points, just in case.

        Decluttering and reorganizing as much as possible is going on right now, too, since it’s Winter. Some family furniture that’s been in storage has got to go at this point — can’t use it, get rid of it. (Who else has extra “stuff”?) Hopefully these items will sell and the $$ can be turned over into food storage. Any extra money gets plowed back into preparedness because it’s the lifestyle we chose and has top priority.

        Conditions are worsening all around us. Signs are everywhere. Stay focused, use your energies wisely. And please ignore those frickin’ trolls….they are an intentional time-waster!

        • Zoltane,

          Last week I spent 4 days decluttering and reorganizing the “stores”. Learned a few things along the way.

          I have been roughly collecting stuff for 20 years and it adds up after awhile. In the spare bedroom is the non-food items and I have shelving along the walls. At one time, they were neatly organized and grouped by like items. Over the last numbers of years, as I would buy more, I would just poke it somewhere close to right area.

          The extras wound up in the shed, the sunroom, the spare bedroom, the pantry and both porches. I went through each area and started consolidating. All fire starting stuff together in one place, all survival together in one place and so forth.

          Good learning experience. I found I had overbought of some stuff and under bought of others. Wasn’t aware of it until I took the time to once again do a massive decluttering and organization.

          Some of the things I found were kinda comical in some ways. A number of years ago I noted I needed more grommets…so I made a note to buy more. In cleaning I found I had bought 4 complete sets over the last couple of years. Same with steel wool and candles…got plenty now.

          I have first aid supplies, small stuff sacs, duffle bags, outerwear, clothes, shoes, socks, gloves, hats, material, leather, batteries, flashlights, headlamps, sewing supplies, knives and carabineers coming out my ears.

          I was short on snaps, nails, screws, coffee, water purification tablets, duct tape, wood, gun cleaning supplies, vitamins and electrolyte replacement.

          It was good to get stuff organized again and get an updated perspective of just exactly where I was at with the stocking up. I still haven’t found the lid to my favorite stainless steel camp cooking pot but will keep looking.

          Kindle

          • Kindle, some of your excess might be good stuff to barter with at some point. Many of the things you listed are great to have extras of.

            Speaking of grommets…I still haven’t made blackout curtains, something I’ve wanted to do for a few years and really need to get that done. Right now I’m tackling 30+ pair of old denim jeans, harvesting the fabric and all that comes with them. First thing I need is a large dog pillow cover for 2 spoiled dogs. The young ‘un has torn up the old one in the past year but the insert is still in good shape.

            One item many people don’t think about are those plastic shower curtains. I have quite a few on hand — great for outdoor ‘solar’ shower surrounds if you need a fast set up. And they’re also good as inexpensive tarps.

            I know where your pot lid is — ask JustOneGuy….he’s been peculiar lately and it’s rumored he switched off from tin foil to stainless. Classy, eh? 😉

            • Zoltanne,
              Good one…I can just imagine JOG sneaking in and switching stuff out.

              I harvested leather jackets for years from thrift stores for the very same reason you’re doing jeans. You can actually get a lot of quality leather out of a jacket.

              I hadn’t thought of a shower curtain as a tarp…that’s a good tip…must get more…see what you did?

              I was thinking the extras would be good for barter also and did an oh well…as least I got them.

        • I yesterday started on my second empty, unused bedroom. I learned that cereal stacks nicely if a wall is supporting at the start–why waste expensive shelfing??
          It’s reassuring to know there are more of ‘mes’ out there.
          Me, Zoltanne, and Kindle..think in years, not months.
          There will be droughts to go with the two already from what I gather from my readings.

          • JayJay,
            I built my own shelving from stuff I had around the house. I also built an extra garden shed last summer….which is where I used up a lot of nails, wood and screws.

            That’s the hard part….using stuff and then having to go get more

          • JayJay those recent droughts were such killers that it forced some rethinking on our garden irrigation. Thus was born the massive livestock tank that replaced those little 55 gallon drums for rainwater catchement.

            Our biggest food shelving unit in the basement level was originally built for music LPs. The records are gone now and they fit a triple deck of 12 cans or a quart and a pint stacked. lol Remember when grooved platters were put on this round electronic object and something akin to a needle went into the groove whereby music occurred? 😉

            Long term cereal plans — think about using your flours to create a cereal “mix” that is rolled very thin, baked, then broken into small bits. What you can make are flaked cereals (bran flakes, corn flakes, etc).

            • Zoltanne,
              I inadvertly made oatmeal cereal the other day. I was trying to make oatmeal cookies…(Daisy’s fault for mentioning them a number of times.)

              Yep, they came out thin, baked and broke into tiny bits…wasn’t what I was shooting for though. Poured them into a bowl, added milk, and settled for cookie cereal.

              Funny thing is, I can cook really well on an open camp fire but not so good in the kitchen. Must need more pratice.

              • inadvertently…not the other thing i typed

              • Kindle, that oatmeal cereal sounds darn good! I make granola all the time — it’s my cold cereal staple. Never had a ‘cookie cereal’ before but loving oatmeal, steel cut oats, oat groats, I’m sure it would be delish!

                Well if you’re better at open-fire, you’re a soup maker, casserole baker, and fry cook. Maybe it’s time to get a wood cookstove!

            • Zoltanne, I’d bet a month of Ramen noodles you are a Craigslist user–I look at those big tanks, then think how can I get it home?
              And then, how crazy(er) the neighbors will think seeing it in my back yard. Yes, OPSEC was lost long ago.
              But, I haven’t given up–am saving for an acre or two away from here, and wouldn’t miss these selfish, arrogant people for even one minute.

              • Yes, I improvise with shelfing too.
                When my preps got massive, my dementia-brained husband came home with a 8’X 8’X 2′ wood shelf–from Goody’s warehouse…for $25.
                We couldn’t even get it in the room till he cut a few inches from the bars holding the wood shelfs..most ceilings are 8′.
                I still thank him every time I go into that bedroom- turned-storage room.
                He’s a keeper!!

              • Yes JayJay, we use Craigslist and we’ve picked up on a few sellers as being prepper-minded, too. Craigslist is how we got our wood cookstove, the ‘new’ used welder, and some new/unrelated meat rabbits last year.

                Livestock tanks are easy to explain away if you have livestock. 🙂 Plus we have big gardens and neighbors know we’re growing veggies, milking goats, butchering pigs, etc. Most in our area hunt and a back neighbor won a pig at the fair last year so he home-butchered. Down the road, one of the horse owners has recently acquired Boer goats (meat goats) so we’re seeing a few changes as people wake-up.

                We picked up our tank (we have a flat bed trailer) so we didn’t have a hauling issue. Some manufacturers will deliver so keep that in mind if you go shopping. In the ‘burbs, given the go-green mentality, rain barrels are an easy way to catch and hold water. Just remember to have the means to filter and treat the water if it’s to be consumed. Go Berkey! 🙂

                • Berkey, pool shock, coffee filters, alum, purification tablets..we are covered.
                  Thanks.

      31. Earths weather has gone nuts! Expect more mega storms, earthquakes, fires, snowstorms, tornados, floods etc. this year than ever. MOVE to the country NOW- the cities are the DEATH TRAPS waiting to happen-proven time after time. Escape now! get at least 1 hours ride away from any major city for your familys safty! GO-GO now while you still have time!

        • HollyWood is Killing your Mind Heart and Spirit

          You think you know this world ? Boy are you in for a surprise. It seems that everything is indeed connected, but what does it all mean for us ? Whilst it seems Hollywood is painting their own future and putting it into the minds of those who blindly willfully follow the trends and dogma of HollyJooWood .

          AtC

      32. I have puchased $742.00 worth of (Boudreaux’s Butt Paste) at the Flee market in Sheboigan just in case ! It has so many uses. It even works on my dogs Bung http://buttpaste.com/

        • Thanks Professor–is this better than bay balm which was suggested to have on the prepper first aid list?
          I understand if you don’t answer, but purchasing that amount, it must be great??
          I have a order list and this butt paste is now on it.
          Drugstore. com is a place I go a lot.

      33. “If the city council members are intimidated by people exercising their Second Amendment rights to bear arms, perhaps they need to examine what it is about that that makes them uncomfortable,”

        this is from Oak Harbor, where a council member tried to get a vet kicked out of the meeting because he was carrying conciealed.

        I think I know what is making all these politicians and ilk all anti gun..they finally realized we know they are the crooks and bastards that have been fucking us over for so long, all the corruption etc.. the reason that guy walked out is because he’s dirty or plays dirty.

      34. Converting as many fed res notes into essential assets, mainly food, water (water processing as well), and protection at our house. Likewise, converting as many non-essential assets into cash for preps plus post-collapse precious metals. 2/5 of the family is on board. The others know what’s happening but mostly refuse to accept it. Anyone using credit to accomplish prepping? Not comfortable with that concept.

        • If no one among us is capable of governing himself, then who among us has the capacity to govern someone else? – Ronald Reagan

          Could that be the reason, VRF??

          • Yes I would agree, plus we as a nation, I feel are slowly waking up to the realities of something just isnt right.

            not to mention all the time we have gotten fucked by the ones we have all put into power, and what they have done to us rather than for us with that power. people on both sides of the issues are getting the bullshit lip service, and no one is feeling all fuzzy and warm about it

      35. The purpose of life is to live for the Glory of God. Thus I care not if my body has life or not, as I have been promised life forever in Christ.

        Thus I prep to aid others, to protect others, and to be a used by God to bring others to His kingdom.

        I have no country, no tribe, no family, but Christ’s Kingdom. Will I fight for America?, NEVER! Will I fight to protect my fellow man?, LIKE A TIGER!…until my life is gone from my body.

        As the Apostle Paul once wrote, “To live is Christ, to die is gain”.

        A “Well Done” to our brother in Christ NP.

        • +1…”don’t go down without one helluva fight.”

        • Last American. It is because of my faith that I don’t fear the upcoming. I also plan on being charitable to the unprepared as long as my family is taken care of first.

          I still cling to a love for our country. I look back at what the US became as a result of a free country, our Constitution and the founding fathers and pray daily that He assists the righteous in righting the ship.

          I’m also a realist and look at the entitlement attitude of most and wonder if we are deserving of mercy as well. God said that he would spare Soddom and Gamorrah (spellcheck) if there was but one righteous person.

          I know we still have good people in this nation. I know we still have patriots and I refuse to believe that the vast majority of people no longer yearn for freedom. Maybe a reset is what we need?

          Regardless of what may come, knowing that it is only a few short moments when compared to the eternity that awaits makes it easy to just be someone who can make an impact on others.

          It is people like we have on this site that gives me hope.

          Thank you for your comment brother and God willing, I’ll see you on the other side.

          NP

      36. Outstanding post, ditto on everything NP and greatest prepper site on the net IMHO , kudos Mac

      37. I live in town. My yard is too rocky to have a garden. I’m fully prepared including 1500 gallons of water. I bought my shotguns new because I don’t know guns and I couldn’t afford to buy one that might not work right. I bought food that was as close as I could get to what we eat now because we could afford it. We bought 64 gig iPad 1’s that will hold a LOT of DVD’s and TV programs transfered from our Tivo. We also have 200 AA batteries and an external battery-to-USB charger to charge the iPads. I also have a Kindle that has a ton of free books on it.

        • Square foot gardening will solve your rocky yard problem.

        • Raised beds. easy to do and worth the time.

      38. LAPD sure pissed down the leg of one of thier own, he tried to blow the whistle on corruption and brutality in the force so the LAPD needs to shut him up..he’s not out shooting up innocent people, but the cops sure are doing a bang up job of doing just that..

        who’s the bad guy again? im confused, no im not..we all know who the guilty are,, this guys got a meassage to all the LAPD that fucked with him..we now see how one trianed guy has them all fucking scared enough to shot at anything that moves, as they piss down thier own leg

        welcome to the party pal

        • @VRF

          Are you certain of your facts? Drudge is reporting that the rogue Leo was a supporter of President Evil, loved Hitery, a real useful idiot ect……just say’n.

          As usual it’s the Left who gets violent, yet we Tea Party people are the danger?

          • Anonymous,

            Exactly…. Another Lefty, Pierce Morgan, Anderson Cooper, pro gun control control freak goes on a murder spree….

          • yeah i read that too..guess he hits from both ends of th game.. but his reasons within the LAPD sound very possible

            he’s just not an informed votoer or well tuned to whats going on politically..lol

        • VRF,

          I was wondering when this was gonna get brought up. I am a retired LAPD officer, and while I did not know Dorner, I did know Quan and a few others on that list. Quan became an attorney so he could help officers who were getting screwed by the Dept and could legally help them. I do not know all the details, but Quan defended Dorner and lost, and Dorner killed his daughter for that. Murdering someones daughter who was trying to help you pretty much sums up that the Dept was probably right for firing him (I doubt we will ever know the whole story, although dorner’s Board of Rights should be public record).

          However, this has brought up a point I would like to bring up. For everyone thinking that your local law enforcement is coming to do door to door gun confiscation in black jack boots, look at how this one loose cannon has paralyzed southern calif. You know Feinstein and company are s***ing their pants on this one. Imagine thousands of “Dorners” (how everyone will be portrayed. Maybe not Dorner, but something similar) protecting their rights. It is unimaginable to those idiots. Like I said last week, they will try for compliant gun control first.

          We are winning this battle!
          Keep your powder Dry,
          JJsan

          • its interesting how they are warning the public..its laughable..because this guy is of no threat to public. but he is a threat to the corrupt ones in the LAPD

            it also shows how woefully unprepaired this police dept is.

            they wouldnt be scared of a nobody..this guy has the goods on who the problem is..and wants them to pay up or come clean..

            I really dont get why he killed those two , maybe because he knew it would send the message to Quan that he was serious? And i dont bet that Quan did his job well enough or this man wouldnt have been discharged and the investigation into the corrupt cops would have shown him to be innocent, and just standing up for his oath..you dont brutalize people and not have a pay back coming..the guy obvioulsy had morals

            his gun control stance is nothing i wouldnt expect from a california cop..or those he is kissing ass to in his manifesto

            they will kill him..and the rest of this will get swept under the rug..as usual

        • nice ;0)

          i was thinking that very thing .

          now just imagine how they’ll all be during nation wide martial law with the dhs military and u.n. foreign troops involved .

          it’ll be a blood bath massacre at first for all civilians , till they wise up and fight back against the blue piggies .

          this is why you do not give up your guns .

          so you can protect yourself from out of control scared police and martial law .

          it happened before , it’s going to soon happen again .

          don’t give up your guns .

          AtC

      39. For all the people asking if the police officers will be held accountable for shooting the two innocent bystanders, the answer is, “No.” follow the news

        Police killed veteran Marine Jose Guerena in front of his wife and child on May 5, 2011 in Tucson, AZ in a case of mistaken identity. No law enforcement officers were punished.

        Police in Los Angelas, CA shot and killed Michael Nida, father of four, for jaywalking and “acting aggressive.” Nida’s sister says her brother was shot five times in the back in October 2011. No law enforcement officers were punished.

        Police in Lake County, FL killed Andrew Lee Scott as he answered his front door in July 2012. Police say they mistook Scott for a “murder suspect” but it later turned out that he was the wrong man. No law enforcement officers were punished.

        No. No police will be punished. They never are. Police have no legal obligation to put their lives on the line to help you or I. But they ARE allowed to kill you and I, as long as they declare it was “an accident.” or if they fabricate a good enough story to lead the public on so they dont come looking for the truth

        one ex police officer is trying to even the score his own score, seems there must be a problem in the hen house, that they dont want out

        • convieniently no where in the story on the LAPD ex cop is the reason for his actions..

          No where in this story does it talk about why he’s doing this. He reported a cop that was abusing a mentally challenged kid, and got fired for it.

          knows the depth of corruption in that force, and knows who black balled him and who is continuing the abuse within the LAPD..oh yeah they gonna want this man shut the hell up and fast..and its a real different fight when its personal

          • The female cop he reported has now killed an elderly woman, last fall, by kicking the woman too hard (while handcuffed). The reason the woman was arrested? She sprayed her neighbor with her garden hose. Now she’s dead because of that same female cop.

        • VRF,

          I will agree with you that the two fools who lit the paper grandma delivering news papers up should be fired. I saw what looked like over 20 holes in their poor truck. You need to know your target, especially in a residential neighborhood. That was unacceptable and they should be disciplined. Will they be? Who knows??

          Keep your powder dry,
          JJsan

        • What about the guy that was holding a water hose sprayer on his porch?
          Dead, killed by cops.

      40. You can take my food, my silver, my ammo, my consummables… just don’t call me a “prepper”. I would rather flee naked into a snowstorm than be branded a “prepper”.

        • Do I detect a note of sarcasm? Evidently 3 people didn’t 🙂

      41. Great Article!

        About #10.
        While I agree with the importance of having useful hobbies, there is also room for hobbies that have a main purpose of bringing joy. I find I can’t function in the Very Serious Prepper Mode all the time.

        For example, playing a musical instrument. Unless the person is good enough to make money playing, the only benefit is bringing happiness to themselves and the people around them. The same thing for hobbies like painting (watercolors or oils, not houses). This is not a bad thing.

        I don’t scrapbook but I have friends who do. For most of them it is an artistic expression. I don’t think they spend hundreds of dollars on the hobbby but I suppose there are others who spend a lot. The scrapbooking does serve a purpose of retaining family memories. I have seen some beautiful examples used to record family events or to document family geneologies.

        I think most preppers are people who carefully choose their hobbies and the ways they use their spare time to avoid the superficial, time wasting habits that are so prevalent in our society. No hanging out at the sports bar, recreational shopping, or mindless cable addictions. There is more of an awareness of the value of time and a dedication to making good use of their lives.

      42. Captain: Sound battle stations! Spin up tubes 3, 6, and 12! Stand by to launch torpedos! Let’s make a deal. What kind of deal? A DEAL deal! Crapgame, you da man! Do you feel lucky, punk? Well…do ya? Where’s my mule? Play Misty for me…right turn, Clyde… (he staggers away)

        Sailor: Uh, sir? What’s got into the CO? Is he…uh, is he drunk, sir?

        2nd Officer: No, seaman. He just gets bored on these 6 month tours, and sometimes he locks himself in his quarters and watches every Clint Eastwood movie he has. Over and over. He’ll snap out of it soon.

        Sailor: I was wondering about that. Especially since we don’t have a number 12 tube. Be kinda hard to load it.

        2nd Officer: I’m just glad he didn’t bring his copy of Eiger Sanction. He’d have up rappelling down the side of a frozen cliff. And that’s hard to do out here in the Pacific…

        Sailor: Maybe I could lend him my copy of Caddyshack. It might be fun watching him smack golf balls off the foredeck.

        2nd Officer: Don’t give him any ideas, son. Don’t give him any ideas.

        Captain (staggers up, singing) I’m allllriiight! Don’t nobody worry bout me!….

      43. HOW FREE ARE YOU ?

        Living in the NWO NewZionOrder ZOG Red Commie AmeriKa ruled over by a illuminati globalist banker controlled illegal alien CIA False Puppet President born in Kenya .

        Where…

        Debt is Wealth

        War is Peace

        Slavery is Freedom

        Ignorance is Intelligence

        Weakness is Strength

        Hate is Love

        Death is Life

        Terrorism is Patriotism

        Black is White

        Obedience to the State is Law or Prison possibly Death Shall soon Follow .

        How “Free” are You Really ?

        AtC

      44. pretty alarmist article ???

        Crustal upheaval near Santa Cruz Islands signals planet undergoing massive change

        http://theextinctionprotocol.wordpress.com/2013/02/08/crust-upheaval-near-santa-cruz-islands-signals-planet-undergoing-massive-change/

        “Planet in crisis: “We are entering an era of increased planetary instability, brought on by a significant rise in the geothermal gradient, and subsequent magmatic fluid expansion within the planet’s interior. It will be a time, in which, we will see catastrophic and exponential increases in the number of natural disasters- most notably: earthquakes, storms, and volcanic eruptions. Yet, it is not the number of earthquakes that will strike the planet in the future that should most concern us. It will be the cluster eruption of mega-quakes, and their resonate aftermath, which will signal the planet has entered an intensified cataclysmic period of transition…these quakes will signal the secondary stage of Earth’s thermal acceleration, and should come to be viewed as signs of increasing disorder. Some of the quakes will strike as singular events; others will erupt in clusters, and some will strike some of the world’s most dangerous faults…this time will be marked by increased tectonic plate agitation, and an increase in the outbreak of the most powerful and destructive type of earthquakes, known as mega-thrust earthquakes.” –The Extinction Protocol, pp. 166,167,172 (2009)”

        • Nice to live in the midwest where we don’t have the hurricanes or earthquakes (I know BI, we could! 🙂 ) No tsunami threats and 1,000 feet above sea level.

          We live in a world of turbidity. Find high ground.

      45. I just wanted to add my $0.02, as the ideas came to me, as an urban, modern woman who also preps, so take it for what it’s worth…

        1) I buy new *quality* clothes (no polyester or trendy styles) that can be mixed and matched well plus “wash and wear” when I get crazy deals on them (clearance + storewide sale + coupon = Thanks, Kohl’s!). I do that primarily because they haven’t been already washed a bunch of times and broken into someone else’s body shape. In other words, I’ll get more wear out of them.

        I also hit thrift stores, but I’m very picky as to what I buy. If a button is missing but is otherwise a great deal, like my $10 full length wool trench coat that was originally $200-300 (that’s a huge savings on a sturdy, high quality needed item), I’ll scoop it up!

        Sometimes, cheap really does mean cheap, so be vigilant in your shopping. And always ALWAYS try on before buying, especially used. If you buy something and then find out it doesn’t fit, then you wasted your money, since there’s no return policies. (Wear tight clothes you can slip the item on over it if there’s no dressing rooms.)

        2) Scrapbooking is not my thing, but I can certainly see its value. If there was a complete societal collapse, it would serve as a family album and open journal for not just the family but for many others. Historians constantly dig up old photos and diaries, and scrapbooks are a little of both. Most moms I know keep a baby book – all the firsts that happen in a child’s first year: baby’s first teeth, first food, etc., which scrapbooking isn’t much different.

        3) While I agree front row to see Pink Floyd at $2k a pop is a bit much, there’s nothing wrong with mezzanine seats for a show you really, really want to see. (We only go to the movie theater maybe once a year for the same reason, and it has to be a good one.)

        The first concert I went to was Iron Maiden in ’85, which to this day is considered one of the best acts ever. We were just above “obstructed view” grade seats, and back then, tickets were only $15 that you actually waited in line to get (maybe double if you used a scalper). It’s a memory I’ll always cherish. My dad took me, who’s not around anymore, so it’s one of those memory things that can’t be replicated or replaced.

        4) If you’re like us and must have a cable package, because you really do enjoy watching some TV and hey, “All work and no play…”, cut back where you can. We work from home, so we switched to a bundle package which got us a VoIp phone for an office number and ended up saving us $20/mo. We lost HBO in the process, but really, other than Game of Thrones and True Blood, we didn’t lose much – and those two programs I can catch up on down the road. (Besides, it builds up my anticipation for waiting for Sexy Viking Vampires haha.)

        5) If you’re shopping around for a used car, again be vigilant in your shopping, and take care of it with regular maintenance – don’t skimp on that. We bought a ’97 Cavalier in 2004 with 50k on it, I still drive it just fine today, and it doesn’t “look” like a beater. While personally, I’d rather be cruising around in a new Mustang, this car meets all of our needs and then some.

        It’s great on gas, I’ve never had problems with it driving long distances, it’s not so big that I can’t park it in the city, and it never gets stuck in the snow. The back seat folds down, and combined with it being a 4-door, it’s extremely accommodating for packing stuff (and people!) and creates a surprisingly large amount of trunk space.

        6) Trade up and be organized. My “glamping” camping gear (meaning I don’t rough it when on vacation whatsoever but is all stuff I feel I need) has been tweaked over several years, always upgrading to a better quality product that is multi-purpose. I keep all of it in the biggest walk-in closet in our apartment, ready to go. After a trip, I only pack back in there what I actually used and is still in good shape and what’s no longer usable (like batteries). I also pack everything strategically, not just by how it will fit, but so nothing will get damaged in settling. Everything is marked clearly in water-tight bins and packed neatly.

        We do everything this way. If we want something, there must be a place for it – even clothes. Every time I do the wash, once a week, I toss clothes that cannot be mended, and I keep a running tab on what needs to be replaced. (No “holy” underwear and socks!) Most of our furniture is finds from the alley, as we live in a building with mostly trust fund babies and college kids who ditch great stuff (yes, we lucked out to get this place before it became too expensive), right down to the desk I’m typing on. We “upcycle”, too, taking an ugly couch that’s otherwise a quality product and reupholstering it to be beautiful.

        • @Lori
          All good advice. I drive a 14 year old Rav4 without a single rust spot myself. Coupons are the best, got $14.00 off a $55.00 food bill yesterday bu using them.

          We’ve got jeans, shirts, shorts, and socks over 6 years old. We look for sales and stockpile shoes/boots as (Like everything else) they are only getting more costly.

          We buy everything on a credit card, them payy off the balance each month. This is like a monthly no interest loan. Plus the one we use gives us 5% cash back, which we invest in silver coins.

          By trying to be good stewards of what God has given us, it allows us to support an elderly couple we know and also share with the Salvation Army on a monthly basis.

          • If you’re disciplined as most preppers are by design, then yes, credit cards can be great tools – but you HAVE to be disciplined. The Kohl’s card, for example, is what gets me an extra 30% off the clearance prices. Just today, I got a $100 pair of leather boots on clearance for $18.60 + an extra 30% off! Not. Too. Shabby! (And I have “Peggy Hill” feet, so finding shoes in my size is a challenge all unto itself.)

            Target is another store where you can do well in that, as they take coupons, including their web coupons which can be combined with manufacturer coupons, and the Target card (which also comes in debit form) gets you an extra 5% off. But in both cases, and as you mentioned cash back and whatnot, do leave paper trails, so be discretionary with your non-cash purchases.

            Coupons are so awesome too, because they often require you purchase multiples for the deal. So it keeps me on my toes to add more to my food and sundries preps. I’m big on rotating and only buying stuff we actually will use. Sure, I can get a certain brand of deodorant at 4c each, but if the brand gives me a rash, then what good does it do me to clear the shelf?

            We donate items all the time, but we only donate stuff that someone else can actually use, like clothes that have been outgrown but are still in good shape, and items I’ve upgraded. Many times, I’ll just ask someone if they want it before donating, thus saving myself a trip to the bin, but I’m strict they must come get it in 24 hours. Otherwise, we’d go from preppers to hoarders lol. Since we live in an apartment without a storage locker, we don’t “hang onto stuff”. A place for everything and everything in its place! 🙂

            I tell ya, I’m soooo looking forward to when we can finally move onto our property downstate. Sure, we can outlast a blizzard and its aftermath in relative comfort, but then what? I’d feel a whole lot better if we had more long-term self-sustainability.

        • u.s. soldier returns from war deployment to find his place ransacked by his room mates his property missing stolen … and gets bitch slapped by a cop / ex u.s. marine with an attitude .

          i’m honestly perplexed by this event and think they both acted wrong .

          now imagine how they both will react during a full-fledged martial law event towards a hysterical civilian in fear of his her life and property .

          this is not going to end well for America .

          still want to give up your guns ?

          AtC

      46. Good Morning.
        Ah,the prepper. Always is a constant state of flux, adjusting to the world around him. Kind of keeps you on your toes. Never letting your guard down and with all the doom and gloom that engulfs him, he continues on his journey to survive anything that can be thrown at him.
        Sadly for most the ability to combine a normal lifestyle, (considered by others) with the need to prepare can be hard. How hard it is to prepare for an event which others can not envision or refuse to heed the warnings. How does he hang on while others condemn him and called him vile names when in most cases he would share his cache with those less fortunate.
        He can be a Jack of all trades with the knowledge to save lives, provide comfort and protection in a world gone Mad.
        One point is that with all we do, we don’t have all the answers. We just do the best we can.

      47. I know you mention photo voltaic cells add being a good way to generate electricity. Has anyone on this site ever liked into thermo electric generators? I have done some research into this. One that is of interest that a person could build themselves is copper oxide thermo electric generators from copper wire.

      48. good artical, but being prepared for “ANY” disaster be it natural or man made should be on everyones top priority list! there is no one person in this country that is immune to some sort of disaster,tornadoes,hurricanes,earthquakes,floods, or any number of man made disasters. it was funny watching the weather channel on this mornings coverage of “superstorm nemo” where they showed a shopper with her one bundle plastic wrapped fire wood and told the reporter how she was ready for power outages! I just can’t believe the mind set of people today. you can’t blame her, she was never taught any better. my point being,teach your kids how to be prepared for anything and everything and to make wise choices! GOD HELP US!

      49. Nice article NP.

        I arrived at this destination through food concerns. Sometimes when I would eat factory beef I would get violent nightmares. It got me thinking about the chemicals that are being injected into the animal. I never had any issues with elk and venison so I cut factory beef out of my diet and became a little stingy with my elk and deer harvest. Factory chickens have so much fat that I started to raise my own healthy and lean free range chickens for meat and eggs. During the summer I catch a lot of albacore tuna, the tuna doesn’t freeze very well so I learned to can it. That expanded into canning other foods from vegetables to game. In the fall and spring I catch salmon, I’ve learned how to smoke it, can it, pickle it and freeze it.

        Here in the rural area of western Oregon we lose power in the winter time so often that I wired up my house for a generator, through that wiring I can power some circuits with solar. We are on well water and heat with a wood stove, we have goats for brush clearing. I woke up one day and realize I’ve become a homesteader. With that realization I’ve started to research other homesteading activities. Goat milk and goat cheese is in our future.

      50. Who Goes First in a total SHTF (Power Down) scenario

        I know this topic seems cold and callous but it will definitely get you thinking about who you need to help and those who can not be helped. And just maybe some of these people will change their minds and decide to help themselves.

        First to go are invalids, shut in’s and severely handicapped. I think this goes with out saying. I feel sorry for this group and the others below but at least this group will be spared the horrors of “surviving unprepared” the collapse about to hit us.

        Next to go are the disabled, elderly, handicapped persons and those hospital bound. Typically this group IF they have food, only have 3 to 7 days of food. The hospital bound patients will be included in this list as when the food runs out at the hospital they will not eat any more. If money is worthless, who will show up to work for nothing?

        Then their are the un-prepared elderly, moderate to lightly handicapped. This group typically has from 5 to 10 days of food which may be stretched to about a month but no more.

        Then next to go are the un-prepared middle age adults with baby’s and young children. This group typically has only 7 to 15 days of food on hand but because of their age and ability to get around and scrounge for food, water etc. this group will last a little longer, typically about 2 to 3 months for most. This group typically has small, young children and baby’s and will share there food with their children but then it will run out. This group can and will become very dangerous as they will watch their children starve in front of their eyes, then they will do ANYTHING to feed their children.

        And next to go are the young adults who are unable or unwilling to adapt to this new world. Weather they be the Jersey Shore types or the video gamers. Anyone who uses the term “Hey Dude” probably will NOT make it. I give this group 3 to 4 months only because of their age they are able to endure more pain and suffering from hunger and some or most will typically go out scavenging or begging for food and water.

        Then next to go are the lightly prepped middle age to elderly to young adults with no skills and only a moderate ability to adapt. These people have maybe a one to two months supply of food that can be stretched out to three to four months but no more.

        Until finally, All older people except those well equipped in survival skills and well prepped persons are gone. All disabled persons are gone. All un-prepared middle age people are gone. All young people unable to adapt and scavenge are gone. At this point only people in good health with a sound mind with a strong will, that are fast learners with some survival skills will still be alive. (If you want to live, you will learn survival skills you never dreamed of, and how eat things like insects, worms and things that would gag a maggot to survive).

        At this point it will be the murders and cannibals against the preppers and the murders will be actively seeking out the preppers. It will be every man, woman and child for themselves and ONLY the strong will survive.
        As the average home has long since been ransacked for food, water and survival items, now the murders will be seeking out the preppers and developing tactics and strategies to overrun or over power them for their food, water and other survival items. They will be on the move from the cities into the suburbs and from the suburbs into outlying areas around cities and from their, to more remote areas within walking distance (20 to 30 miles) of any city will be in danger from these groups.
        IF you are well prepared, but in a remote location then that is a major plus. But, if your well prepared but in a major city/urban setting than that will be a major negative. The farther you can get from ANY city (of any size) the better off you will be and you will increase your survival ability by magnitudes the farther from cities you can get.
        ALL major cities will become major Hell Holes with unspeakable horror and all manor of crime against persons and property. Cannibalism will become the new normal, no one talks about it, but everyone does it. If, your alive, your alive due to eating other human beings, unless you have prepped and prepped well.
        If you are in a city or urban area and the area is over run with gangs looking for food, you can bet IF you are there they will be talking about YOU and how to overrun your location and take your supplies. When 99% of the homes have been ransacked and looted for food, water etc. the gangs will be talking about YOU and what you have and how to get it, that you can bet on! So you see where prepping in a city or urban area can be super dangerous. And the farther you can get from any town or city of any size the better off you will be!
        This is not written to depress you, only to inform you. It is not our intention to single out any group of people but only to make you aware of your situation and how to remedy your situation, IF possible. Good Luck and God Bless and Keep You and Yours!

        HELL ON EARTH IS COMING

        PREPARE

        • @Dr. Blue

          If I may be so bold, you may want to also read the book on Economic Survival by a real survivor from Argentina. He blogs at the “Modern Survivalist” site.

          Yes, Hell on earth may be coming for some, but Christ’s Kingdom is only a Sinner’s Prayer away.

          God bless you, I hope you find an answer to your fears.

      51. Off topic but important.. The Fed has bought almost 4 billion more US debt than the Treasury has issued so far this year. Question.. how do you buy more of something “new” than is being produced ? Answer, you don’t. You buy “used”.. meaning, I think, that the Fed is buying all the current debt being issued, then buying previously issued bonds that people / countries are trying to dump..

        If correct, this is a very, very bad development..

        Any input / information on this would be appreciated..

      52. You can buy 80 to 90 watt solar panels for about $150 each including shipping on ebay. A couple of those and you can charge a couple of 12 volt deep cycle batteries and run several LED lights, radio maybe even a 12 volt electric blanket to keep you warm on cold winter nights. That’s what I do… Works GREAT!!!

        • doctor,
          where did you find the 12 volt electric blanket?

      53. A great article, eloquently articulated, thanks NP!

      54. Question #11
        This is one i am having trouble with but from my girlfriend,
        Curious what others think on this
        She is totally not on board,
        You can bet she would be more than happy to eat up my supplies and suck my time up if TSHTF
        Been with this lady for 15 years, but when i start talking about the new gun laws etc and how theres no way im giving them up she starts with the ill pay you to give them up or how are your guns worth giving everything else in your life up,
        Honestly, i think id rather have my guns and ammo and all my preps and be by myself!
        Starting to see where she will be a liability and really nothing else,
        Anyway, curious what some other folks have to say.
        Thanks

        • Kula,
          I would say anyone that would “pay you to give them up” is a liability.

        • Kulafarmer, the most important thing you can have when TSHTF is someone to watch your back–friends, a group to help you. IMO,you should stick with anyone who cares about you. She may not be on board now, but you better believe she will be soon. Love is the most important thing.

          • Kula,
            Cindy is right, and wrong.
            Love is the most important thing because that is where Joy comes from, do you have Love?, or something else?
            Only you, can answer that question.
            Only you, can see her soul.
            Only you, can find the answers within.

            • Thats the difficult thing isnt it, when you really do care about someone there tend to be a lot of grey areas,

        • Kf…tough call…objectively…after 15 years, why is she just your girlfriend?

          Apparently, she hasn’t/doesn’t bring anything/enough to the table to make it real.

          I’m not one to blow smoke up anyones ass so here it is…

          There is way too much on the line right now…cut your losses and move on. You have a wonderful deal going on in paradise. You are a farmer, the farmer has been shit on for a long time. My goal is to become a farmer because it is the key to the future. (It actually always has been but the term farmer has been lost in translation.)

          We grow most of our food and the rest comes from those that we know. Lots of drones have no real idea where food comes from, what is in it, blah, blah…Farmers/ing will survive…or our kids, grandkids, etc. are fucked.

          Brother, “free your mind and your ass will follow.”

          from seeing your posts I know where you stand but…

          “don’t go down without one helluva fight.”

          • Why is she still just my gf?
            If it aint broke dont fix it? Was married before, sort of left a bad taste in my mouth, i see people all over, married then divorced, about the time i met my girl i was going through a bankruptcy so also didnt want to nuke her credit, its complicated.

            • It always is, isn’t it? Let your mind rule your heart.

              If you Love her Kula, then that is Joy.. and worth continuing the struggle, just keep an eye out to see if she turns one way or the other… and have a ‘come to Jesus’ talk…
              With what is coming, you cannot afford to have a house divided…

              • Thank you, am watching things close, i think she would prefer to keep her rose colored glasses on is all, if things really start going south im going to hope she puts them away and like you said we will need a come to Jesus discussion.

        • Kula,
          Joy is the meaning of life.
          If the thing that reduces your Joy is the closest thing,
          then it must go… away.
          She will turn against you one day.
          You already see it happening.

          • Kuoalah

            Wit a womenz lik thet joo don née enemees
            mi daady tot mee gude
            Use jus neede too beate hur tille u learne hur sum sence in thee hede !!
            I gotte learnd alot wen i was a yungun

            Is gude fer thee woman folk an thee chillen too get sum whackin
            Dey hav smallor braine than man —lyke a mes behavine doggi

            Und thee womane dey lyke thee spankeen to

            Hehehe

        • ps…my wife who is waayyyy on board puts kale in damn near everything I eat!

          That should make my points extremely valid!

          • That
            Is a very valid point
            Thank you

            • God bless you both…just be honest with her.

              Relationships are damn difficult sometimes…My wife is the kind of person that God meant for everyone to be like. Long story short, she was put here to help people that are hurting, and she does it well…I believe that he has given her healing powers…he has plans for her.

              With everything that is going on, we have been blessed to have a solid place to endure the turmoil that is coming…I am here to get her to the other side…and I will get her, our kids and grandkids there so help me God and i don’t give a damn how I do it.

              Kula, you are a good man…to air your dirty laundry one an open forum to a bunch of cutthroats like us takes alot of balls…

              I hope that she is able to recognize the seriousness of the hour and realize what a treasure that she has and stand with you.

              Geez…can’t live without them.

        • @ Kulafarmer.

          “Breaking up is hard to do”.

          Take the money she would use to buy your weapons and have her buy her preps with it.

        • @kula
          hard spot to be in…however, it will be a lot harder when the shtf and she is knocking on your door…keep in mind that you are not alone, many of us are going to be in the same position. i try to remember what grandfather use to say, “many contest upon exactly when life begins, but the thing that you can be sure of is that your death began at conception, it comes for some of us sooner rather than later, like it or not, but more importantly if we live as the Creator intended that time is not for us to know for ourselves or choose for another.”

        • Kulafarmer ~

          I’m sorry about your situation. It is a difficult one to be in.

          Personally, I don’t really do too well with the unprepared. I need to share the same basic values to be close with someone. That applies to partners, family and friends. Things in the world have just gotten to the point that unless you are on the same path, you need to be on different ones. You can’t drag someone along with you if they aren’t willing to go.

          If she doesn’t get it, despite your best efforts, chances are she never will. Chances are, she will be a risk to you when things get even worse. Only you can decide if she is worth that risk. I suspect, since you are questioning the relationship this seriously, you already know the answer.

          Good luck, KF.

          Daisy

          • She sort of gets why i prep, but thinks i may be going overboard, i usually chalk it up to different backgrounds, me, raised country on a ranch, stores were way far away, pretty self sufficient and always had lots of food stored, her, a towny, raised by single mom with 0 money, barely had what they needed, was too far removed from real hardship, my folks ww2 era kids lived through, blacked out windows and real shortages of everything

        • Okay–Kulafarmer–have a staged intrusion happen while you are away–or even if you are there, she will see why it is essential to be armed…
          Do it up real good.
          Drastic??? Maybe it’s the only way to go.

          • JayJay,
            LOL…good one…but once she found out she was being had, she might just become resentful…

            Fear, is the greatest source of wisdom sometimes.
            Only Kula can know what will get through to her.
            Maybe, he should offer to marry her if he feels comfortable with it, “on one condition”…;)

            • Im hoping osmosis will work, might try and start being more social with my gun buddies, maybe once she sees their wives shooting shell get into it, who knows

              • That’s a good idea! Make it fun, social…

      55. Yo BI,

        A 7.0 @ Lata, @ 15:36 UTC. Gee, that a big aftershock isn’t it??

        • @ JustOneGuy. For most any earthquake you can count on an aftershock of 1 magnitude lower. 8.0 = 7.0, 9.0 = 8.0 and so on. To have two 7.0’s probably means that the fault was much less smooth, more jagged, and is still adjusting itself. Like a tightly compressed balled up plastic wrap that you suddenly let loose, the plastic continues to try to go back to its original state. I would not be surprised if there was a larger aftershock than 7.0 because the fault is behaving like it is having a difficult time readjusting itself.

          I don’t know about you and everyone else, but there is a real uneasy feeling right now going on with NOT so much the geophysical world, but the world stage of other countries. The new moon is Sunday for Israel having the darkest skies, but it feels different this time. It could just be my own paranoia, but something feels real wrong and I can’t put my finger on it. Could just be that Porky leader of North Korea is going to do something ignorant. I wish I could figure it out, but there is something really rotten brewing with other countries right now. Do you feel this odd type of warning that some country(ies) are going to do something quite awful?

          • Howdy BI,

            Tjhere is MUCH to be concerned with, if you get a moment stop by over at Business Insider..one of the leading,top of the page articles will serve to support your thesis here. Og ALL the hotpsots in the World I’m afriad that the one which will actuall ydetaonate will be the Far East…the’s ober there just DON’T know when to leave it alone.

            As far as the Lata thing, what troubles me the most is the pattern of the manifest 7+ in the wake of the 8.0.
            Specifically the box-like pattern both encompassing the island irseld as well as stretching across the trench …I have BAD feeling about that for some reason. While I’m here I was meaning to ask you a question; Do you perchance know what the geologic origin of that island is? I’m concerned here that the bracketting we’re witnessing here may be indicative of ‘something’ else … get back to me as you can Friend, Adios

            JOG

            • yeah, I was just looking at the usgs site, and it appears there is a recent line of quakes moving west from the 8.0. There was a 5.0 and then a 5.9 in the last hour moving towards Papua New Guinea. Are they spreading??

              • Good Observation Todd,

                Yes, it would seem they are ‘following along’ down a line wouldm’t it? Between that and the ‘odd’ bracketing of the island which forms the centroid of the quakes near Lata (Pronounced Lay-Tay) I went over th Wiki just to see if any supervolcano remnants lay along or near that line …thankfully none that I could find. It is however the cae that BI is the resident expert here so we’ll wait for any pronouncements he’d like to make….

              • @ Todd. Check out the shape of the Australian plate, this direction is spreading west as the Australian plate migrates more north direction, the Pacific plate is trying to force the Australian plate more westerly. You really cannot see this on a flat map, only a globe really shows what is happening. The Caroline plate is actually moving in several directions and is literally being compressed at all angles other than in the northeast corner. These “little” plates are the results of tremendous compression and subduction.

                I kind of equate it to a car compression unit where you get these little rifts and expansions away from the actually pressure points. While a compression machine doesn’t generate a lot of heat like the planet, this kind of gives you a three dimension picture of what is happening down there. Just look at the odd shape of the Australian plate, it looks like a catcher’s mitt.

                @ JustOneGuy. This is actually a very slow process, and I worry more about a super volcano being the result of what is happening more than some rapid land mass rising off of a sudden. The magma chambers are around the world, and it just takes a mega earthquake in the wrong place to really help end civilization. That 9.1 after day Christmas of 2004 was not far away from Toba super volcano, I think it was about 250-300 miles away. Toba is larger than Yellowstone in the Sumarta area. An earthquake that large could easily set off Toba if it was within 25-50 miles away. We are talking about a super volcano that 74000 years ago dropped the planet’s temperature more than 20 degrees F. Japan and many other hot spots are just waiting for a large enough earthquake to open it up and let it blow.

      56. Norse Prepper, thank you for one of the best articles I’ve ever read on prepping anywhere. God knows, there are more reasons for prepping today than ever in the history of the world. My first contact with prepping came when I was only 5 years old. My older brother helped our Dad build a bomb shelter in our basement and stock it with supplies because some Russian lunatic named Nikita Khruschev allowed some nuclear armed missiles to be stationed in Cuba aka the Cuban Missile Crisis. That left a lasting impression on me. I have personally survived several hurricanes during my years in Florida, tornadoes, even being burned out of a mobile home and temporarily made homeless aka my personal SHTF. I WAS PREPARED FOR EACH AND EVERY BAD THING THAT HAS EVER HAPPENED TO ME IN MY LIFETIME. I AM A SURVIVOR. I take responsibility for my own well-being; it’s my responsibility alone and no one else’s. I use my own money to but preps; NOT TAXPAYERS’ MONEY. I’ve never been on the public dole and never will be. Also, I’m debt-free; no loans or credit card bills to pay off, etc. so I have more money to get preps and can prep faster than I would’ve been able to otherwise. I’ve always bought cars with cash; never had any car payments in my whole life. i buy the cheapest clothes i can find; don’t care whose name are on them; what’s in a name, anyway? Once again, Norse Prepper, thanks for this article, and thanks to Mac for providing this forum. SHTFPlan.com rocks! Braveheart

      57. Daisy, thanks for the message on Manos; glad to hear he is surviving. Anyone heard from Copperhead or Possee? Hope they’re OK, also. Braveheart

      58. doctor blue– this is an excellent post.. a little depressing but extremely helpful, and I thank you! From reading it, I realize I’m not nearly as bad off as I thought… I just need to get the hell out of the city and get a gun (or two!) and lots of ammo. (already got a lot of stuff stored up). The problem a lot of people will have is when TSHTF and they want to leave the city, there will have a rough time finding a Uhaul truck because everyone will want one. You got to get it NOW– while they’re available and while the streets are cleared of muggers, there’s plenty of gas, etc.

        • Cindy,
          You may be a little late in the gun department…
          If you can’t find a good gun, look around for a crossbow.
          😉

          • @ Piper,

            Howdy Bro, here’s an odd one. I happen to live near to one of the larger military installations in the country..Leonard Wood, as it happens. I was down there yesterday and had absolutely no problem picking up new 30td mags and a couple of other ‘goodies’ at just ONE of the local pawn shops there…just a thought while all the other retail points are having such difficulty…..

            JOG

            • YES… PAWN SHOPS… and yard sales, and auctions.

            • Alot of pawnshops around military bases are run by old retired military..they have “connections” for items like that.

        • Cindy… good advice.

          Are YOU taking it? Get you stuff loaded and get your ass moving.

        • @Cindy…..You Go Girl!! take care of yourself!!, CC.

        • Braveheart…those are both excellent articles and so very true!
          From the 2nd article listed…..
          “It is like awaking in the middle of a vast and hallucinatory live action theater production, complete with performers, props, and sound effects, all designed to confuse us and do us harm. In the end, trying to make sense of the illusion is a waste of time. All we can do is look for the exits…”
          That’s actually how I’ve been feeling for awhile and yes, looking for the “exits”!!!
          Thank you for posting both!

      59. Wife on board 100%, just got her Ball book, she’s excited about gardening and canning and drying and preserving of all kinds. So that’s good.

        We had some old preps of mine, obtained before I knew how to store them properly. Rice is full of bugs, can’s are old and slightly rusted…ok. She wanted to throw them out. Which led to quandary, I never throw anything out, either it gets used, reused, repurposed, recycled or simply added to the MacGyver pile in the shop.

        So the question is, what to do with old preps?
        The answer was simple and fit right in with the question, what to do when the DGI’s come to the door begging… which is why old stuff goes into the ‘charity’ area. It is visible, open, easily stolen. Or, given away to satisfy my christian charity complex.

        This will allow one degree of separation between me and others who would come after me if they knew I was a prepper (only one DGI neighbor does, but, I expect her to be on my doorstep whining. I also expect family to come for a ‘visit’.)

        Everything else is cached in a secret walk in, behind a wall in a closet filled with boxes, in the ‘junk room’.

        Thus each DGI will be given two eggs from ‘the girls’, and a cup of rice w/ bugs. If they complain, I will simply say “Ok, give it back, if its good enough for me and mine, its good enough for you. Besides, the bugs are good protein.”

        OPSEC, OPSEC, OPSEC, can’t say it enough. “All war is deception.” – Sun Tzu

        • @M.Piper
          From your posts I gather that you are a member of The Clergy, am I correct? If so, any relation to the well known Dr. John Piper? Thirdly I recall your mention of your own blog some time ago, how would a fellow brother in Christ find that?

          Many thanks

          “Will the Last American leaving Miami, please take down the Flag and turn off the lights”.

          • Last American,
            No. I am nuts…. ask anybody around here…
            😉
            My site, is in my name.

            We are all brothers and sisters in the Light of Christ, whether we believe or not…

            May His Force be with you.
            🙂

          • PS: I am a Piper, as in; Uilleann bagpipes.

          • Colored handles are blogs(unless someone logs in wrong). Click the handle to go there.

        • {{Or, given away to satisfy my christian charity complex.}}

          Whoa, if it will make you sick, are you thinking those resorting to christain charity are exempt from sickness??
          I’m puzzled here–most will just say, go to the church near where I donated.

          • Its not going to make them sick JayJay, I’ve eaten it. Dried bug bodies are protein, if somewhat distasteful to American stomachs. Ever been through an E&E course?

            I said the same thing to my wife..;)

            Do you seriously think, these churches are going to survive as a source of Charity? When they can’t find anything to eat for themselves?

            Come on man… the zombies will be on your door begging… or demanding with a gun in your face. That’s why my old stuff is on shelves in the pantry and I can just point them there…
            If, they get the drop on me.

            • You know, this makes me think of a dilemma I am having currently.

              I’m very anti-preservative and anti-GMO. Some of our older preps are things like that which we don’t intend to eat.

              I’ve been debating the ethics of donating something I believe to be toxic, even though it is generally accepted as safe to eat, to the food bank.

              I feel guilty doing it, to be honest. On the other hand, I hate to just throw it out.

              • Just a thought…wouldnt most of the people you are giving it to eat/buy it for themselves if they could?…I mean I wont eat GMO on purpose but most people do without a thought about it,and although it isnt good for long term injestion,it would serve to keep them alive for a while…I understand the thought…I just cant see a hungry person saying “oh, its GMO..so sorry but I just cant eat that or feed my starving kids with it”…does that make any sense…hard to put it into words for some reason tonight…just a thought as I said 🙂

        • Feed the buggy rice to the chickens. They will appreciate it.

      60. NP
        Thanks for the great article. It is a matter of where your priorities are. There are so many out there that have their priorities all backward I know a few who want to prep but they are to busy playing and buying the latest greatest that they don’t have the money to prep I really do not understand that mentality, the righting is on the wall that things are going to get ugly. I would like to share this on my blog if you don’t mind.
        Thanks RW

        • @ RW…feel free to post it anywhere you would like and thanks for the compliment!

      61. Maybe the worst article here in weeks. Questions 1,2,4,7,8, and 9 are essentially the same. 6 and 10 are essentially the same and 7 is pointless.

        • Personally….22winmag….I think that you’re envious that every article Norse Prepper writes is extremely informative and well written!
          Have a great day!

        • ….if you cant say something nice…then be quiet….sheesh!…NP,some people dont/wont/cant contribute anything so they try to degrade anyone who is/does!

      62. if you werent sure, and needed something to show you how corrupt a police division could be..read this mans manifesto

        the fuck up move up mantality of a police force isnt just something new to LAPD..its throught the entire LEO organization..i think this mans intent is to start the blood letting for those who have done him wrong, and for those who dont deserve to be cops.

        he’s of no threat to the general public like the media and cops would like you to believe, he’s just a threat to those who fucked him in the LAPD..and from the looks of the LAPD’s past and present way they handle things Im inclined to believe this guy has a legit beef

        link to follow

        • VRF,

          You have got to be fucking kidding me! He murdered someone’s kid as revenge!!!! He’s a narcissist, vile murderer. They deleted pro Obama part of his manifesto, he should be hanged from the highest tree. Who the hell cares about his beef, that gives him the right to murder an innocent kid of someone that he hates? Makes me sick.

        • Im kind rooting for this guy, know a few people who have been wacked in the same way,
          So go for it
          1MOA

          • Kaluafarmer,

            Go ahead root for a piece of slime, did you know he is also an Obama lover, just your typical murdering leftist, psycho extremist. Is he your hero? Says a lot about you.

            • Actually,
              My heros are guys like John Wayne
              Einstein, Benjamin Franklin, im sure i can come up with a few more,
              This poor bastard standing up for getting fucked over,
              Not really a hero, just admire his guts to do something nuts like that, those guys must have really screwed him over for him to whig out like that.

              • Kulafarmer,

                You are a screwed up shit head.

            • Just shows how close to the end of the rope folks are getting

              • …and THAT’s the next thing we’re all going to HAVE to start worrying about, regularly…the screws just keep tightening more and more, every day it seems.

        • TORRANCE, Calif. (KTLA) — Two women are recovering after their pickup was riddled by police gunfire in Torrance, in what investigators are calling a case of mistaken identity.
          The officers who opened fire were on the lookout for fugitive Christopher Dorner.

          Another vehicle was also mistakenly fired upon not far away.

          The first incident happened about 5:30 a.m. Thursday in the 19500 block of Redbeam Avenue.

          It involved LAPD detectives from the Hollywood division, who were reportedly on a protective detail for an LAPD captain and his family named in Dorner’s manifesto.

          Emma Hernandez, 71, was delivering the Los Angeles Times with her daughter, 47-year-old Margie Carranza, when officers apparently mistook their pickup for that of Dorner.

          Hernandez was SHOT IN THE BACK, and remains hospitalized in stable condition.
          Carranza suffered a wound from glass that struck her hand and received stitches.

          “There was no warning, there was no orders or no commands… just gunshots,” Jonas told reporters.

          According to Jonas, the women’s vehicle was “the wrong color and the wrong model,” compared to Dorner’s.

          He said that police “had the goal of administering street justice” and “didn’t take the time to notice that these two older, small Latina women didn’t look like a large black man.”

          The second incident, which involved Torrance police officers, happened around 5:45 a.m. at Flagler Lane and Beryl Street.The Torrance officers had apparently heard about the nearby incident, and while en route they encountered a dark pickup that looked similar to Dorner’s.

          They opened fire on the pickup.

          The man who was inside was not hit. So far, there has been no word of plans for a lawsuit from him.

          –Chris Burrous reporting

          http://ktla.com/2013/02/08/women-delivering-newspapers-in-torrance-shot-in-manhunt-for-ex-cop/#axzz2KHyfOR00

          • Made me furious when I heard that on the news, that police think they are so much more important than the rest of us they can fire at will in hopes they get their personal enemy.

      63. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2013/02/dorner-manhunt-false-leads-rumors-fly-over-ex-cops-whereabouts.html

        reading the comments
        there seems to be a good measure of support
        or at least some empathy for this guy

        people know how corrupt the LAPD is
        and has been for quite some time

        quite a dangerous thing
        when TPTB can’t keep up the propaganda

        if any of what this guy says is true in his “manifesto”
        its way past time to fire the Police Chief
        and clean house from the top down
        but we all know that’s not gonna happen

        • Its time to clean house everywhere my friend,
          Look around us, not too terribly many county, state, or fed agencies that are even remotely on the up and up any more, time for a reset

      64. and more news from the world’s most successful criminal class

        Wall Street

        http://occupyamerica.crooksandliars.com/diane-sweet/jpmorgan-internal-emails-exposed

        and of course the gov turns a blind eye yet again to MASSIVE financial fraud

        “Yet U.S. attorney general Eric Holder still has not filed a single criminal charge against any Big Banker, or sent any of them to jail. It’s far past time he got started, and Jamie Dimon is just as good a starting point as any”

        as the government loses its legitimacy
        rest assured
        that it will increasingly turn to violence and brute force
        eg
        the 1.6 billion rounds of ammo purchased by Homeland SeKUriTy

      65. for BI
        what happened to the globalincedentmap – the earthquake site I watch every day? It got stuck at 17 months ago – how to update it?

      66. Great story to wake people here up, they still believe the Gov will save them and we will always have food. Have 10 boxes of AR left will ship within 5 days, leave email if interested.
        Braveheart

      67. Prepping has to become a fun activity. Otherwise it will never get done. I have fun swinging by Walmart and loading up on toilet tissue for 88 cents/four roll pack. I wiped out the entire stock stock of one store one day. That was fun. Now I have a six-month supply of t.p. Total cost? About $50. I do the same thing with soup. When Wally World has the Campbell’s Chunky Soups for $1.50/can, I buy 24 cans at a time. That’s 24 meals for $36, and no preparation is required! You don’t even need a can opener. And it has a 2-3 year shelf life with no refrigeration. For a few hundred dollars I have created a three-month stockpile of food and toiletries.

      68. Kulafarmer, I was in your situation back in 2003; my girl only pretended to be “on board” with me only to come home one evening and find some preps missing and i saw her come out of a neighbor’s house disheveled-looking. i immediately started throwing all her shit out and told her to hit the road. I haven’t even dated since then. Your girl needs to either get on board or not be on board. Understand it’s your call, but you need to know for sure where you stand with her before TSHTF. Good luck. Braveheart

        • I hear ya brother,
          Dont think she would ever do something like that to me, but who knows,
          She is on board with the food, sort of, is kinda intimidated by the dozens of 5 gallon buckets piling up in the basement, and with the guns she gets the self protection thing, but now that our state is basicly trying to outright ban semi auto “assault rifles” and trying to make us register yearly all the orher stuff, im talking split the scene, she doesnt understand why i would give her and everything else up for the unknown, she absolutely doesnt get the constitutional rights and hold the line thing, figure if these commy laws get passed ill nicely say i cant be with her and either move or sit tight and go all revolutionary style on these fuckers, be one thing if she would move with me but im not giving one more inch to these hipocrates in our state legislature,
          Anyway, is an all around sore subject, sort of why i figure if they ruin my life, ill make sure and repay the favor!

      69. I like this article a lot. The biggest mistake I’ve made is that I have run up some credit card debt prepping. Now I’m pulling back and am going to get rid of some of this debt before I begin again in earnest. I’m actually in decent shape prep wise, but I think I will always feel like I’m not doing enough.

      70. Footwear…Yes, it sounds crazy but I am continually thinking about taking care of the tootsies. I guess it’s the soldier in me(you can take the boy out of the army but you can’t take the army out of the boy).
        Was wanting a new pair of hunting boots, but also wanted some military boots. I found the best of both worlds when I received my pair of Danner Trophy GTX. Holy Crap, what a boot! Built like a tank and better than anything I ever wore in the Service.
        Expensive as hell but I think worth it. Take care of your feet people.
        I’ve also been concerned about clothing-not myself or my wife but our 8 yr. old daughter. Will we have a hard time clothing her in a collapse? As of now my wife has done a great job with the consignment circuit on getting clothes fairly reasonable.
        Just one more of the myriad of things to contemplate in a societal meltdown.

      71. I’m a prepper, you’re a prepper- wouldn’t you like to be a prepper too?
        Sorry- that jingle is stuck in my head.
        Someone making fun of my prepping- I just say “It is what it is”.

      72. Haven’t read any of the comments…yet.
        Got to say this… “prepper filter” ,simply, pure genius…
        so apropos…
        May I quote…J

        • Jerry, sincerely thank you and feel free to use however you would like!!

          God Bless!

      73. I’m not doing ANYTHING! THEY better FEED me and my family! They owe me!!!

        • Who gonna feed dese babies? Quote from a single mother of 14 living in a hotel in Florida. UNBELIEVABLE.

      74. excellent post Norse..freaking excellent.

        same reason I sold my Harley that I spent a year
        and about 6K rebuilding to buy my 97 F250 4×4 BOV.

        my wife and I, since we first got married have always
        approached life with the “work hard now, have fun later” mentality.
        unlike this generation that thinks “play now, somehow I’ll pay for it later”

        true, I’m eventually going to upgrade my phone to the newer (I didn’t say newest) super me phone. but, it’s only because the one I currently have, is starting to die and I cracked the screen last june helping build my parents new barn at their BOL. 🙂

      75. Norse Prepper,

        Great article! Thank you!

        You put things very nicely in perspective.

        • Thanks KY! You are such an asset to this site with the article links. Take care!

      76. Great article and advice! Hopefully this will help put things in perspective for those that are prepping on a budget. I just found a great pressure canner at a flea market for $10 bucks and it is working great! It saved me about $50 that I can put towards more jars and lids.

        Thanks for all that you do!!

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