ARE YOU REALLY PREPARED
BY GREYWOLF


I have recently been had time to do some thinking. You see I have been helping my VFW. And because I have stepped back it gave me time to acess some things.
I remember saying that all my preps were done. Well they basically are. But after stepping back I realized maybe there were other things I could so. Plus after reading an article ConSigCor posted awhile back, I knew that I should do a complete acessment.
Maybe you should too. If you've been around awhile you should check the condition of all your gear,food and shelters.
If your a newbee maybe you are like I was when I first started years ago and focusing on weapons (which is great too) but lacking the focus on your survival gear. It is just as important. You can aquire or make weapons if you survive long enough.
After checking my supplies a few months ago, I realized I had some out dated supplies and renewed them. I was surprised to find that I also overlooked items.
You must sit down and think about what type of life you want after the SHTF. proper planning will make survival easier, but not a sure thing.

1. do you have a years worth of food stored. If you live in the country do you have the garden planted and the ability to can the food for the winter. Even in the cities you have the ability to plant a garden in even a small yard. but that leads to number 2

2. Do you only have your present location or have you built retreats to go to. are those retreat stocked or were you planning to travel those dangerous roads with all your supplies.
I know your present compound as the Initials will call it is supplied, but is your retreat supplied and comfortable enough to stay in till spring. Because if your plan is to run to the hills and live in a tent. That will be a hard thing to do for 6 months or a years through the winter till you can build a cabin. That cabin will also take most of the summer to build by hand and you still have to grow food.

3. I know all the young single guys are thinking they will be able to handle living out in the field. In the field for the military, you had supply line and others to depend on. Your unit will not be resupplied for a long time. so you will need retreats and supply storage areas hidden and safe. You will still need to feed you unit. As for that year supply of food that each man should have, well if your lucky if will last a year, but a year will go fast when your moving and fighting. That is if you live that long. I really think more will perish from lack of planning then fighting.
4. There is always that one guy who thinks he will steal all the food or ammo he needs. That just makes you a target of everybody including the militia. That is why for at least 20 years I know of militia men have been preaching be supplied and ready. 20 years come on, if your not prepared or mostly prepared. we are in trouble. I have never seen a country have twenty years to get ready for a war. So forget the thief stuff and prepare!
5. Your present (compound) home. Is it fully stocked. Did you plan for power outages. Yes that means generators, but generators require full even with 500 gallons. Most generator use 5 gallons every 8 hours. So you still only have about 14 days of fuel, If your lucky! You must have other forms of power making capabilities. Solar,wind for example. I have a friend whos home had a 15,000 kw generator and 500 gallons of fuel, but he forgot to run a cable to his well, so when the power failed, he had no water. oops!!!. He know had it hooked to the generator plus a solar panel to power it during a crisis.
6. Raising food for years or decades of life without the normal structure your use to. That means my friends even if we are lucky and the great tyrannical leader fails. Our economy will be devastated for decades. Not to mention our enemies who will take advantage of our temporary weakness to attack us. So be prepared to live like your ancestors did. 1930's all over. If your a city dweller, your preps must be perfect, Country folks mostly have the skills, just need to learn how to do it without all the luxuries, such as tractors.

This is the end of the section one of being prepared and living well.

Part two will dicuss how to supply your retreats and farms, moving to the country and what to look for in a property.