Happy 2012! We hope that you had a good Christmas and a wonderful and safe New Year. As you may have noticed, we took some time off between the two holidays but we’re back at it now that the new year is upon us.
We thought it might be a fun way to kick off the new year to poke a little fun at ourselves as preppers. To the unconvinced, our lifestyle and financial choices are unusual. So Joe and I came up with some things that definitely tag us as preparedness-minded people.
- If you open your linen closet and bags of beans fall off the shelf and hit you on the head, you might be a prepper.
- If you have 46,843 Band-aids in plain, fabric, latex-free, extra large, Toy Story, Scooby-Doo, and Dora themes, you might be a prepper.
- If you own 2 dozen cloth diapers… and have no children, you might be a prepper.
- If you have enough vitamins stocked to nutritionally supplement your entire community for a year, you might be a prepper.
- If you always keep a new set of shoelaces handy in case you have to tie off an umbilical cord, you might be a prepper.
- If your home library contains more volumes about survival-related topics than your local public library, you might be a prepper.
- If you carry more food and medicine in the trunk of your car than most convenience stores even stock, you might be a prepper.
- If you own enough buckets to form your own neighborhood bucket brigade, you might be a prepper.
- If you always have, on your person, at least 2 ways to make fire, you might be a prepper.
- If your purse holds a guaranteed shot at what’s behind curtain # 3 on Let’s Make a Deal, you might be a prepper.
Got some other “You might be a prepper if….” jokes?
PreppingToSurvive.com 
January 2, 2012 at 8:20 am
If you stock tampons and feminine napkins and everyone in the house is a senior citizen, you might be a prepper.
January 2, 2012 at 8:21 am
If you buy ammo for guns you don’t have, you might be a prepper.
January 2, 2012 at 8:22 am
If you might bic lighters for cigs you don’t smoke, and you buy little booze bottles for alcohol you don’t drink, you might be a prepper.
January 2, 2012 at 8:23 am
If you have more survival lnks posted on your FaceBook than friends, you might be a prepper.
January 2, 2012 at 8:24 am
If you wrap on a survival gear for all your relatives at Christmas including the 80 year olds, you might be a prepper.
January 2, 2012 at 8:26 am
If you carry more items in your everyday carry than misc junk, you might be a prepper.
January 2, 2012 at 8:27 am
If you find a working, all-spare-parts-included treadle sewing machine at Goodwill for only $80, and that is the highlight of your week. That happened to me last week! 😀
January 20, 2014 at 3:08 pm
Are you in Lompoc, CA, because I missed out on one last week at our Goodwill!
January 2, 2012 at 8:28 am
If you have all your “money” in junk silver, and your space bedroom turned into a pantry and you are FRN poor, then you might be a prepper.
(FRN:Federal Reserve Note)
January 2, 2012 at 9:05 am
If you are asked: “Do you have a can opener?” and you answer: “Sure do”…as you grab your Leatherman out of your purse, and flip out the can opener blade…BUT the person asking only meant “Would you like a can opener-I was given an extra one at a Pampered Chef party” You realise not all people think like you do…and you might be a prepper. ( true story).
January 2, 2012 at 7:41 pm
Ha! I can see that happening. Thanks for sharing.
January 2, 2012 at 9:05 am
I WANT that Ford pick up!
January 2, 2012 at 9:18 am
If you have enough cast iron cookware to build a battle ship with…AND use it, you just might be a prepper.
If you have more salt and sugar stored than you’d be able to use in a couple of years, you might be a prepper. *(might harden, but doesn’t degrade).
If your favorite colors are khaki, camo, and your favorite clothes have to have pocket systems ( tactical pants etc…) or molle straps on them, you might be a prepper.
If you make purchases based on how well you could run with, or in them…you might be a prepper ( demand that shoes be sewn, not glued so they can be repaired).
If you chose friends based on the fact that you ~know~ you can outrun…(jk)
If you refuse to throw out the ends of celery, peelings, bones etc. and stash them in the freezer for soup stock…you might be a prepper.
If your family owns more totes and backpacks than the local big box store…you might be a prepper…
October 16, 2012 at 5:00 pm
My goodness, my mom has been a prepper since 1968, and I thought she was just a pack-rat
January 2, 2012 at 12:14 pm
If you spend your spare time reloading ammo you might be a prepper
January 2, 2012 at 12:18 pm
I LOVE these! Thanks so much for your additions, all of you. Keep ’em coming!
January 2, 2012 at 3:10 pm
If you drive past a pond choked with cattails and your mind challenges itself on how many uses for cattails it can come up with.
You hate to weed whack all that salad out in the yard!
Every tin can looks like a future hobo stove to you!
One in a thousand people might know what esbit is, and you are one of them.
You notice you no longer say binder twine…you now call it cordage, and you’d secretly love to market it as some kind of macrame survival jewelry.
January 2, 2012 at 7:44 pm
Yes, in our old neighborhood, people spent a lot of time and money trying to eliminate clover, dandelions, and plantain from their yards. I’m thankful that we have a yard full of them!
January 2, 2012 at 3:27 pm
If you feel that toilet paper tubes, dryer lint, and candle nubs are valuable..you might just be a prepper.
You know Big Berkey isn’t the name of a football player, or 4×4 pick up truck.
You so wish you had a pre 1980’s 4×4 vehicle, and tons of extra parts…
January 2, 2012 at 7:35 pm
That last one definitely hit home for me, Secret Creek. I’ve been in the market for a pre-80’s 4×4 for a while now but haven’t been able to pick on up….yet.
October 16, 2012 at 5:08 pm
Go to dvap.com – they sell auto parts and restoreable vehicles that are 1979 and older. If you get a truck it will need work but you won’t have to worry about an EMP
January 2, 2012 at 4:28 pm
1. If you fill every spare plastic soda bottle with water you might be a prepper. (I store potable water in this method primarily for the pets’ backup water program).
2. If you go to the animal shelter with the mind set of security, you might be a prepper. (I came home with a 160# Great Pyrenese. He had heart worm, a tooth abcess, and an ear infection; but his bark and presence are amazing).
3.If it takes 3 six gallon buckets for you to have breakfast (dry milk, oats, and sugar) you might be you might be a prepper.
4. If you wait till your family is asleep before hauling in the UPS shipments, you might be a prepper.
5. If all the insoles of your shoes have 10 and 20$ dollar bills laid in them, you might be ……
6. If the idea of nuclear particles comes to mind when it rains, you might be a …..
7. If the idea of sending you children to college not longer seems like the best thing to do, you might a prepper.
8. If a bucket of dirt means potty heaven to you, you might be a ….
9. If you would rather watch a video on how to can butter than watch “Biggest Loser” or other reality TV, you might be a prepper.
10. If having firearms safety is the next thing after potty training in your household, you might be a prepper.
11. If you would rather pay a obnoxious medical bill than apply for financial relief you might be..
12. If you pad your window with recycled dog food bags, you might be a prepper.
13. If Sta-bile (fuel stabilizer) is more important to you than perfumn you might be a prepper.
14. If you are positive about how tough things might become, yet everyone else is calling you negative, you might be a prepper (hat tip to Country Codger http://codgerville.wordpress.com/2011/12/24/first-things-first/).
15. If a broken down vehicle is viewed more valuabe as storage space for preps than it is as “cash for clunkers” then you might be a prepper.
16. If old tires mean a new planter or solar oven to you, then you might be a prepper.
January 2, 2012 at 7:22 pm
Yep x 16! LOL
From “too negative” Secret Creek…who found out graham crackers go rancid too quickly to stash in totes for very long… peeeuw.
January 3, 2012 at 9:00 pm
Please explain # 12?
Thank You.
January 3, 2012 at 9:22 pm
The wind broke out the windows (I let the glazing get old and dry and did not keep up with prevention/repairs). Two North windows in the attached garage broke out (attached to the house – so the wind would blow open the back door to the house).
The third window broke on the winter door. A visitor stopped by to knock on the door. When they shut the outer/winter door they forgot to place the chair back in front of it. The wind came and about blew the door off. One hinge and one glass paine is still out.
Now for the dog food bags. What I meant to explain is that I flattened out the 50 pound enforced like vinyl like bag (double thickness) and stapeled it on to the window paine – (wood part). The rain can still seep in. It is a temporary fix. One of the windows has been bagged over for a while now. I was having health trouble and was on blood thinners, so it was not a good time to fight broken glass.
I really need to fix those windows. BTW, I use the empty dog food bags for a lot of tasks, like as a pad to transport the chain saw on – it leaks bar oil. I use them as a pad to slide under vehicles to check under – like when checking tie-rods, leaks, etc. I use them to lay on under the house when there is a water leak. I don’t get as wet and muddy that way. They also act as some insulation from cold also. I have sat on them when tending to a hurt animal. I can sit batterys on them and salt blocks too.
The empty cat and dog food bags of the heavy size are great, but only if they are of the reinforced typed – not the paper kind.
Hope that helps.
January 4, 2012 at 7:19 pm
Thank you.
January 17, 2013 at 11:48 am
I had to laugh when I read #4, waiting til the family is asleep before bringing in your UPS boxes. I did that for months and months, it was like I had a secret life from my husband. But it was good practice for keeping my mouth shut about prepping. He now knows my “secret”. He isn’t into prepping, but he allowed me to make him a BOB for his truck. I said it was for the time we would be stuck behind a wreck on the interestate. These accidents can take hours to clear up where we live because the road is elevated over swamps. I added a cheap cigar to the BOS. He smokes and I don’t want to be stuck with him in a car for hours while he slowly goes crazy from nicotine withdrawal. That would be worse than being attacked by zombies. lol
He has agreed to build new shelves in my new food closet. Ha, he’s a prepper he just doesn’t know it. My only problem now…I can’t have an overnight guest…the guest room is filled with supplies.
I’ve involved my grandkids with prepping. They think we are just doing boy stuff like learning to build a fire without matches and what to keep in a backpack that goes everywhere with them. They are very proud to be the kid that has an extra bandaid or a bottle of water to wash a cut when they are at the park with their friends.
Recently I have heard everyone from my hair stylist to people in the grocery line talking about the bad times to come and what should they do. I never admit to being a prepper. I do suggest people read up on the LDS way of being prepared with food storage. I hope this opens their eyes up to other preps.
January 2, 2012 at 7:40 pm
Wow, I’m getting some good ideas here. 🙂
January 3, 2012 at 7:53 pm
All your fellow co-workers/friends always come to you with their headaches and small injuries because they know you have the supplies and training to care for them.
January 3, 2012 at 7:57 pm
Thats a good one. I wish I had such abilities. I do have a fair amount of first aide supplies. Still need to add fire extinguishers to all the potential hot places.
January 3, 2012 at 8:37 pm
Lol. Right. Another good addition is “if you have a industrial grade fire extinguishers in all rooms of your home, and one in your car”.
January 3, 2012 at 8:27 pm
If you have a 3 year old but have shoes, boots, winter coats and clothing in 4T, 5T, 6T and 7T ………….
January 3, 2012 at 8:32 pm
If you have tampons, women underwear, boots and socks but your a single male…………
June 20, 2012 at 11:20 am
Stephen,
That might just be hopeful thinking…….. ;o)
January 6, 2012 at 10:28 am
If you have several rolls of chewing tobacco, to apply to insect stings,sores, infected cuts, to draw out the stingers and pus, and you don’t chew, you might be a redneck.
example: you put wet tobacco on a bee sting, and as it drys, it will draw the stinger and venom out.
January 6, 2012 at 10:46 am
Interesting about the chewing tobacco. For my midterm preps I did purchase some “nicorette” type gum/cigs to help my brother who has a heavy nicotine habit. He is medically, physically, and emotionally challenged without cigarettes. He has tried hard to quit. The nicotene replacment Over the counter would be valuable to him, if and when cig purchases were out. Since my Nicorete packages have a much longer shelf life than the actual cigs, I decided to go for them.
I also stock a few 10 packs of the very small airline size liquor bottles out in the shop. I don’t drink, but figure they would make good bartering items.
If you have any more ideas for chewing tobacco, I would love to hear about it. I do have some Prince Albert (loose canned tobacco in the freezer).
January 6, 2012 at 2:04 pm
Good point. I’ve heard that about tobacco but have never tried it since no one in our household uses it. May not be a bad idea to buy a can or two of Prince Albert.
October 2, 2012 at 3:26 am
Baking soda will also do this 🙂
January 6, 2012 at 10:30 am
Sorry, you might be a prepper, and maybe a redneck. 🙂
January 11, 2012 at 8:13 am
These were all GREAT! And I think I seriously learned some new tricks from these suggestions. Thanks to you all for contributing!
January 15, 2012 at 11:08 pm
*If all of your under the bed storage space is filled with canned goods and plastic bins full of other food supplies instead of summer shorts.
*You start smashing your toilet paper down, so you can stash more of it in tight spaces.
*You immediately have to drop everything and get to the store now when you realize you only have 8 tubes of tooth paste left.
*Instead of storing extra place settings to your china in the bottom half of the hutch, you’ve emptied it out and filled it with oil lamp, extra oil, wicks, and candles.
*You rearrange your laundry room to hide food stores because friends are starting to comment on everything you have in your pantry and remarking about borrowing.
*You search the Goodwill for good comforters to hang over the windows for warmth and your comforters now take up two full closets.
January 16, 2012 at 12:07 am
Those are some good ones Kim P.
Tell me more about the comforters. Do they really help keep the air/cold out over the windows? Our windows get iced over real bad and think at the bottom. Then when the room warms up, the windows leak and rot the wood frame.
What do you use to hang the comfortors over the window? They are heavy.
Thanks, Tess
January 16, 2012 at 2:07 pm
They really do help add warmth, creating a barrier between the window and the room. Now if you live in a region that you experience this annually and cannot afford to replace your windows at this time, I would strongly recommend investing in clear industrial plastic. Simply staple this to the exterior and interior of you windows. My Aunt is in North and it is an absolute must to do this every year because of the extended freezing temperatures. Your view will be obscurred, but light will still pass through so you aren’t living in a “cave.” I would only pull out the quilts if we were without power for an extended period of time and everyone was having to live in the living room for the warmth of the fireplace. In an event like that I would actually tack the comforters over the archways to create doors to help hold the heat in the room. For my windows I already have heavy rods that would support the weight of the comforter. Remember the average size window. Normally a twin or full size would be plenty of coverage. Also, when using older comforters they’re normally a little worn and lighter than a brand new one.
Hope this help.
Take Care and God Bless,
Kim
P.S. Don’t forget most of our Grandmother’s were tacking window coverages up during WWII (incouraged by the military) in fear that we were going to be attacked again. They believed that if everyones windows were dark the Japanese would not be able to locate the coast.
January 16, 2012 at 11:54 pm
Thanks Kim P.
March 11, 2012 at 4:33 pm
I like to quilt and was thinking of making window quilts to hang if it is cold or so people cant see in. And there are so many pretty patterns so it would look pretty while you have the windows covered.
March 11, 2012 at 4:46 pm
I make a couple dozen quilts a year. It is an expensive hobby. I farm most of the quilting out, that about doubles the price of projects. A kind size bed cover quilt in designer fabric (new contempory fabric) can cost waywards of $250.00. That is a low estimate for such a big quilt. I figure $200 for a queen topper sized quilt. Go price thread – that’s a shocker. I go through a lot of it.
It is a wonderful hobby. Just keep in mind, that a new quilt at a hobby shopped priced at $300-600 could be tagged very close to cost of materials.
Also, I have been making quilts off and on for over 20 years. The last 10 years, I average 20 or so. Just something to consider, before you get sticker shocked. I happen to belong to a very lovely quilt quild and am the recipient of a lot of free yardage. It helps a lot, but the hobby is still a bugget buster.
March 15, 2012 at 12:01 am
I have bought cheap, irregular polyester or fleece blankets (or used, when available) for batting and covered them with second-hand flat bed sheets from Salvation Army or Goodwill type stores to make quilts that are not always pretty, but functional, for around $20 apiece.
March 17, 2013 at 9:51 pm
If you like history look back to the middle ages in the castles. All the tapestries weren’t just for looks they added a barrier against the cold stones.
February 1, 2012 at 8:08 pm
I use thumb tacks to attach polar fleece throws over the windows. I bought YARDS of polar fleece (1 cut of fabric) and used a 40% off coupon at JoAnne Fabrics. Then cut the yardage into throw sizes. We use these after the sun goes down in the summer since it gets chilly on the beach. Our power usually goes out 3x a year for 1-2 days due to high winds and fallen tree limbs, ice, snow. The fleece is lighter weight than comforters and can be quickly applied. & taken down.
February 18, 2012 at 1:24 pm
This is a good one. I am going to JoAnne tomorrow.
February 18, 2012 at 8:00 pm
Thanks Andie!
Remeber your coupon! I also use 40% coupons there to buy the large unscented 12 and 24 pack votive candles. They are great for when the power is out and burn clean.
October 18, 2012 at 11:36 pm
You can also use bubble wrap to insulate windows. Lightly mist the window and press pre-cut-to-size bubble wrap to the window…bubble side to the glass. You can double it up if you have to. Light gets in, but you can’t see out so much.
January 20, 2014 at 3:23 pm
I use a mist of vinegar on the window, that way mildew doesn’t grow between the window and the bubble wrap. It works great here in CA where it is damp and the windows get condensation on them every night (they don’t insulate houses here, so there are condensation and mold problems).
January 16, 2012 at 12:25 pm
I’m right there with you on a lot of these. I was just contemplating whether I should sell my fine china to make more room for practical things. And we have food stored in non-traditional places.
One of our sons had a friend over this weekend and they were making lunch. Someone finished off the peanut butter so our son just walked over to the “entertainment center” in the living room and got another jar. His friend had followed him in there and remarked, “You all have a lot of peanut butter… and spices… and soup…” I wasn’t very excited that he had seen all that, but our kids just think nothing of it.
I’m thinking that quilt hangers and a rod would work for hanging the comforters. Blocking the windows would be good for OPSEC later too. No need to advertise that you aren’t starving and that you have light and heat.
Thanks for adding these!
January 16, 2012 at 2:14 pm
Exactly Laura!!! I was getting confused and a little frustrated at my oldest son’s girlfriend. She would come over and first open the pantry and just stand and stare. When I asked him why, he responsed that her family has to go to the store at least 2-3x every week. They never have “stuff” to eat. No, this is not a result of lack of funds, her parents make very good money. It’s just not a priority for them. After all the store is only 1/2 from the house. When I was canning this past summer that’s when she announced that “If we ever run out of food, we’re all coming to your house.” Who’s We?!! She’s from a family of 5!! That was what prompted me to start using space above the fridge, laundry room and moved a great deal of plastic bins to my room.
January 16, 2012 at 11:46 pm
That’s a tough position to know that you will be in. Hopefully, your son’s girlfriend will be of age (18 or older) before food becomes too expensive or available at any price. Think of her as an opportunity to be her teacher. Your son will likely be the most helpful in preparing her with words of wisdom. Young people notice stuff like that. I know I did. I turned out very different than my sibblings, and parents in many ways. As for my parents surviving children (4), we are spent our teens apart – different homes/guardians/etc. We were exposed to different opportunties or lack there of.
I have had a few lazy friends start to indicate that I was being maintained as a “friend” due to my potential to be of future use. I know that sounds terriable. I am not saying all that I discuss prep topics with, but there has been a few. I am intuitive that way sometimes. Others are just envious. Like the “girl friend’s” parents, some of these folks just don’t want to change enough. The folks I have in mind in my personal situation are not well off, but there is still opportunty for much improvement – like 1 six pack of beer over the weekend verses a case!. Combine trips out of state, instead of having frequent meltdowns, and have to spend tons of gas to seek a mental vacation.
By the way, if your neighbors ask what to do, and ask you do be bluntly honest, don’t believe them. I have been tricked that way. Other wise intelligent people get ticked off real easy when it comes to critical anaylsis to how to be a better prepper/prepared.
Not to ramble. Hope it is OK to let the thoughts roll after reading the earlier post. The fact is that prepping beside folks at various levels does not equate to equal open mindedness. It does not just affect family relations with relatives, but also the neighbors, and in the case cited, the son’s girlfriend to a point.
January 16, 2012 at 11:51 pm
@ Kim P.
Had a idea.
How about lightly commenting to the ‘girl friend” something like this when the opportunity arises…..
“well, there was a time when I would run to the store several times a week.” or “there was a time when I did not concern my self with extra food.” Then add… “But now I know that every family has to take of itself. I know I can’t run to your house, as you have 5 that need food already.” “I realize that the Govt has been encouraging people to prepare for natural disasters and other concerns for a reason.” “I don’t want my famiily to be more of a burdon on the first responders than necessary should food supplies be cut off or delayed for some reason.” ” I feel it is wise to prep like my great grandparents did.” “My pastor thinks its a good idea.”
Just some ideas that came to mind after reading your post again (Kim P). I will practice some of these too as the opportunity comes up.
February 1, 2012 at 8:26 pm
@sunflower,
These are all great responses that I am going to practice memorizing.
They could(hopefully) plant a seed in the receiver’s mind, enlightening them and gently encouraging them to do the same!
February 29, 2012 at 10:42 pm
“By the way, if your neighbors ask what to do, and ask you do be bluntly honest, don’t believe them. I have been tricked that way.”
Now this is outstanding advice. Most of the people who ask for advice don’t really want advice; they want approval. When they don’t get that, they get mad. It is difficult to know whether or not someone really wants advice. I try to give them just a little taste. If that works, then it can be expanded later. If not, then I am not committed to anything that would raise their hackles.
Great site, BTW. 🙂
March 15, 2012 at 8:50 am
Thanks, Ed_B. Great insight.
March 8, 2012 at 10:34 am
If you have more fuel stored on your property than most gas stations, you might be a prepper.
March 8, 2012 at 10:40 am
That’s a good one.
I happen to store bottles and bottles of pedilyte.
March 15, 2012 at 8:49 am
Ooh, good thought for another blog post. You can make a form of pedilyte with sugar, salt, water. Maybe I’ll do a short post on that soon.
March 15, 2012 at 11:51 am
Yes. I was thinking of the recipe this week. I need to get it written into my book. I keep a quick reference – small binder journal. I also have Koolaid flavors to add to make the mix more tolerable. If some has the recipe handy, do attach.
Looking forward to the post. There are several important remedies that be created from the kitchen cabinets. Home made pedilyte is one. Teeth maintanence another (salt, water, hydrogen peroxide, baking soda).
Athletes foot and fungil issues with the skin seem to like vinegar.
Seems like a homemade mix for fighting desintary during SHTF would be most important.
Thanks.
(PS, this post has been amazing – more like a God Thing, than a plan).
March 8, 2012 at 9:57 pm
if for your moms 78th birthday gift you give her a 72hr pack. you might be a prepper……seriously she liked it!
March 15, 2012 at 8:48 am
Hahaha! Nice Mitch.
Joe
March 15, 2012 at 12:10 am
How about solar and dynamo-powered lights, radios, and cell phone chargers?
P.S. I just found this site. I love it.
March 15, 2012 at 8:47 am
Thanks, Deborah! And yes, we have a few hand cranked light/radio/cellphone chargers laying around. 🙂
Joe
March 20, 2012 at 9:27 pm
hey im a kid and im gettin in 2 prepin and im not quite sure wat i can do. im a lone wolf cuz my amily thinks im just being silly but screw them. ill be the one laughin at them scavengin 4 food. any way back on topic, iv strtd to store ramen noodles ( th ones in those sqr pacages), got most of my bug out bag packed (beleve it or not i can fit alota stuff in a camelback) and its got melee weapons and im tryin to get nife and magnesium fire strtr. i know how to survive on my own if needed. but i still need more advice.
email me at: (removed by administrator)
March 20, 2012 at 10:07 pm
Samual,
I forget where I took this list from. It was recently that I came upon it.
(cost is about 35$ for barebones – 3 meals a day for 30 days)
3# rice
3# dried beans
5# cornmeal
42 oz. Oatmeal
2# powdered milk
26 oz. Mash Potato Flakes
30 packages of Ramon Noodles
12 cans of vegetables
———————————————
I added the following @ est. $50 additional cost
Multi-vitamins ($13)
cooking oil ($3)
Tang (generic breakfast drink – high in vit. C) (4$)
Lighters ($1)
Koolaid packs ($1)
Ammo ($20)
Seasoning (salt, pepper….) ($1)
Garden seeds ($5)
————————————————-
Good luck young prepper.
BTW, probably not a good idea to put your email address on public forums, even the good ones like this.
Practicing sound security is a big part of prepping.
March 21, 2012 at 3:14 pm
Hi Sam –
First off, thanks so much for commenting on our site. I’m glad you’ve developed an awareness for the wisdom of hoping for the best while preparing for the worst. Too often, people assume that the status quo will just continue on forever, but you’ve recognized that this may not be the case and you’re taking steps toward preparing for a different tomorrow.
I hope that you take the time to read more articles from our site and other sites as well. In doing so, you’ll learn that prepping is a common sense approach to life. It’s about being prepared for the loss of a job as well as the collapse of society. It’s about having the knowledge and confidence to appropriately respond in most any situation – whether it’s a flat tire, a burning building, or a TEOTWAWKI style catastrophe.
I’m blessed that my immediate family also sees the wisdom of prepping; I wish that I could say the same about my extended family and close friends. Prepping, like life, is much more fulfilling if you can share the experiences with loved ones. I hope you find a good way to share your enthusiasm with your family. It may take them a while to come around but don’t lose heart.
Stick around on the site and post comments and questions. We have a good online community of like minded people here. That’s great and we really appreciate the level of sharing that takes place here. But it’s no substitute for family and close friends.
You’ll notice that I removed your email address from your original comment. I did this for your own protection, so you won’t receive a ton of spam, but also as part of the broader sense of good security practices.
Joe
March 22, 2012 at 5:14 pm
Don’t rely on hand crank devices too much. In the time it takes for batteries to die, they lose their abilty to hold a charge, and will only work while you crank.
You’re better off with quality (eneloop)recharables and a solar charger
April 3, 2012 at 11:49 am
Regarding hand cranked devices: were you thinking radio, wheat grinder, something else, or all the above? Thanks.
You might be a prepper if you have a faraday cage in every building. I am aiming to have one in some form of another in every room. Like candles, I feel a backup of the minimum for every room would be prudent. Even small old fashion table light packed in a tin cabinet under some furniture would be easy to do. Those little wall lights are small and would be handy. An older unused laptop put away in the office, etc. You get the idea.
I have lost appliance and electronics twice now at this house and three times at the other due to thunder and lightening. That is in a period of about 12 years. Thats a lot of expense, and in SHTF moment, the faradays would make the transition to back to grid up a little more saner.
March 22, 2012 at 5:17 pm
Sorry I should have added, try GoalZero.com, they have a good range of Prepper useful gear, albeit not cheap.
March 24, 2012 at 1:30 pm
If you take side jobs because you want to learn the skill more than you need the money….
April 22, 2012 at 9:50 am
You might be a prepper if everyday expenses cut into your guns&ammo budget.
April 22, 2012 at 1:31 pm
That is a good one!
I consider guns and ammo the “other metal” when discussing investments.
You might be a prepper if your everyday carry list is longer than most folks shopping lists.
June 8, 2012 at 5:44 pm
Food is and easy thing to stock,I can get free food day in and day out couponing ..But I worry more about how will we stay warm..I don’t have a fireplace so what is another option? I thought about kerosene but not sure how well that stores and for how long…maybe those coleman camping propane tanks would be better,atleast to store in the garage..I pray this disaster does not happen in the cold of winter! Not sure I am prepared well enough
June 13, 2012 at 10:06 am
Be very careful using anything with a flame indoors. Carbon Monoxide poisoning is a very subtle killer. Make sure you can somehow vent the stove outdoors.
July 4, 2012 at 11:50 pm
Ok, so I am late to the party. My husband and neighbor have been talking about this for a while now and I just didn’t pay attention. But I coupon, so now they are calling me a prepper. I don’t want to admit that something could happen….but I can prepare for it in case it does. So how do I get started?
July 5, 2012 at 7:35 am
Survival is 90% mental. Read books,”Patriots” by rawles is a good start. Buy long term food in bulk. A 308 rifle like a M1A, DSA FAL, G3 clone, etc., a 40 caliber auto pistol, and a 22LR target-hunting pistol. Take a class at a gun range, or guns are about useless but noise. Build a bug-out-backpack. fill it with a variety of survival neccesities like water filters that filter giardia and cysts, 3600 calorie food bars, non-cotton clothes, ultalight sleeping bag, ultralight tent, your 22 pistol plus ammo, survival trinkets, etc. Once you cover the basics, expand to a vehicle and a larger quantity of goods. i personally built a small survival trailer. Food and clean water is currency of the future, not gold and silver. metals only secure excess wealth in a monetary crash. meanwhile you need to eat.
July 13, 2012 at 6:20 pm
I love you guys!!! obviously I have been looking in all the wrong places for a forum like this!! I have gained much insight on something I’ve been doing for years, Prepping. I’ve been called a pack rat, hoarder etc., etc., but I like to think of myself as a Prepper. After I read all of this again I will be better suited to comment on the you might be a prepper if… Thanks Ed.
July 14, 2012 at 2:53 pm
If you put your bed on stilts to store more cans & buckets under it or if you build a loft over your couch for more storage space, you may be a prepper.
July 14, 2012 at 6:26 pm
I was thinking about something like that – namely bunk beds to help make room for more preps.
I am known to have a lot of fabric – I am a quilter. I have been thinking about packing boxes of fabric around my preps to though the bad guys and others I do not care to share our preps with.
Keep in mind. I am all for sharing with the less advantage, the elderly, and other neighbors, I just don’t want to be a victim. I prep with the plan of providing some for others, but few can do it all.
September 27, 2012 at 1:33 pm
Reblogged this on bigcountrysense and commented:
This is the truth.. I love this stuff
October 2, 2012 at 3:38 am
If you have more salt (for curing meat) than the highway department for snow melt, you might be a prepper
October 4, 2012 at 11:12 pm
Anybody want to sell their “Survivalist Magazines”?
I’m missing Issue #2-5
February 24, 2013 at 4:20 pm
You might be a prepper if every time you go to a restraint you grab all the salt, pepper, sugar, and jelly packs from the table – you might just be a prepper- but you might not want to go back there for a while!
March 7, 2013 at 4:47 pm
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April 1, 2013 at 10:33 pm
You might be a prepper if all of your nearby stores are out of canned food and water.
April 13, 2013 at 7:36 pm
If you know four reasons that classifies a prepper
You might be a prepper
August 15, 2013 at 4:35 pm
You might be a prepper if.. you have a monthly budget to spend specifically on prepping and still usually go over budget 🙂
June 18, 2013 at 12:50 pm
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March 2, 2014 at 2:49 pm
In order to work 50 weeks a year, you’re going to have to work 30
weeks; in order to work 30 weeks, you’ll likely have to work
10. his comic roles in movies like Hungama, Waqt: The Race against Time,
Malamaal. Whether these are taken live – while you are doing a real
gig – or whether you have them done on a false stage, will depend on you.
March 2, 2014 at 7:15 pm
In order to work 50 weeks a year, you’re going
to have to work 30 weeks; in order to work 30 weeks, you’ll likely have
to work 10. If I knew how to bake cookies, I would
do that and send over a care package but Im much better at telling jokes so I go there and entertain, shake hands and thank the men
and women who serve our country. Brad Garret is a stand-up comedian but
also well known for his acting career.
March 13, 2014 at 8:34 pm
If you have a compound bow with a thousand arrows and you don’t know how to shoot a bow you might be a prepper.
March 26, 2014 at 1:17 pm
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July 4, 2015 at 3:35 pm
I do not know if it’s just me or if perhaps everybody else
encountering issues with your blog. It seems like some of the text in your posts are running off the screen. Can somebody else please provide
feedback and let me know if this is happening to them too?
This might be a problem with my browser because I’ve had this
happen previously. Kudos