Are you prepared?

[George Cantstandya]

(03-05-2020, 10:01 PM)Synric Wrote: My home is fairly self-sufficient (electric, water, and heat). Because I raise my own beef, garden, trade for pork, and shop at Sam's club for deals I have well over a years worth of food I'm good in most areas for a long period of time...

My biggest issue is diesel fuel.

Sounds like you have a good setup there.  I'd defiantly like it if I had my own supply of electricity, water and heat.  Having a years supply of food and the ability to supply more from raising cattle and gardening defiantly sounds like you have things prepared.

(03-05-2020, 10:46 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: I think that a percentage of all Americans generally live in at least a degree of a state of preparation.  For example, those living in hurricane prone areas tend to have food staples, supplies, generators and fuel, etc. on hand for when the inevitable arrives.  The same goes with rural folks everywhere.  When weather emergencies happen, those in the country are the last in line to get their power restored.  It just becomes a part of life, without even thinking about it.

For example, we keep oil lamps and plenty of fuel for them on hand, as well as candles, batteries, radio, extra propane bottles for the grill, several 5 gal containers of water, etc. along with an ever rotating stock of shelf items that are easy to eat/fix in the event of no-power.  Heck, my wife even has a battery powered DVD player to keep her busy when we lose power for a day or more.

Yeah, I can see where living in an area where natural disasters like hurricanes are not uncommon would lead many to prepare for the worst.  It's places like suburbs and urban areas where natural disasters are rare where I think people don't plan ahead.  Heck if we get a prediction for a few inches of show here people flock to the stores and buy up all the bread and milk.

(03-06-2020, 12:25 PM)sandwedge Wrote: Dinty Moore, is very high in Sodium, just so you know. Also your Vodka needs to be 60% alcohol and most is 40%. 
I am hoping this blows over quickly.

Yeah sodium is high in a lot of canned foods like that.  I suppose that is a bit of a trade off and not something you would want to live off of long term.  I'm not a big Vodka person so didn't know the alcohol percentage.  I had just read some place that it could be used so thanks for letting me know.  I too hope this blows over and think it will.  

Anyway, I just wanted to open a discussion on this because to me it is an interesting topic.  I know that it is something that some people think is weird or whatever, but I just like knowing I have at least a month worth of supplies should I need it.  Of course it would also depend on the time of year and circumstances.  If after a month I'm probably screwed if things don't improve but I suppose I at least give myself a running start.

As for other comments in this thread, yeah if you have supplies, then you will need to be prepared to protect them from those that do not if things get really bad. But I think that is a bigger issue than just being prepared to be self-sufficient for several weeks. At the point where people are looting and willing to assault others for their supplies, then we are talking about a much larger emergency situation.

Again, I'm not a doomsday prepper.  I just think it is a decent idea to keep on hand a minimal amount of supplies should they be needed.  For one person it costs less than $200 a year to stock about a month of food and water if you rotate things out and resupply as used. I think that is an okay investment for a little peace of mind.