New Member

[heyou]

Thanks for allowing me to join. I really like reading the forums

[myakka]

We're glad you joined!

[Applejack]

Welcome to the forum.

[Big Guy]

Hello from Clarksville, Tennessee

Sure have a lot of Canadians joining lately,.......... Is this an invasion? :)

[paintball]

Welcome to the site... Lots to learn

[Morgan101]

Welcome from Missouri. Good to have you with us.

[RICHFL]

I did this to help people to get a basic understanding of Why, What, Where, When, and How do you become a PREPPER.


First all welcome to the forum.

I HOPE you will read this post for most new comers to the prepper life style or just looking for some help - - - to help you see the light, at the end of a very long tunnel. Take my advice to heart, it will save you a lot of time, money, and effort.....


FIRST THINGS FIRST: You have to sit down and make some major decisions before you begin:


1. What type(s) of disaster(s) do you need to prepare for?

INFORMATION: There is two major categories of disasters and two different time frames Involved:

a. Natural where you cannot do much to prevent it, You can (Bug-Out) get out of the way of Weather - including tornadoes and hurricanes. You can (SIP) Stay In Place for the earthquakes, wild fires, etc.

b. Man-Made where again you can Bug-Out or SIP for war/terror attacks, Nuclear/Chemical Spills, financial/economic collapses, etc.

c. Time Frames: It can include either type disaster; if you feel it may take years to recover to a few days/weeks. Each time frame has it's supply build up for your survive needs.

2. MAKEUP OF YOUR GROUP: How many people are going to be in your group? - This is for long term survival or for the rest of your life: NO ONE IS AN ISLAND IN TODAY'S WORLD WE ARE DEPENDENT OF EACH OTHER:

The number is up to you to decide. How many people from your immediate and extended family, your friends, etc. Remember the more people involved, the greater the amount of supplies will be needed.

3. SKILLS OF YOUR GROUP: What skills do you need for your Groups survival? Single word DIVERSIFY YOUR SKILLS:

- Within most groups you can break down it into several sections:

A. Leader(s) (Headquarters Section) are the final decisions makers concerning the group as a whole. In my group, we vote every 2 years to either keep or replace the current leaders.

B. Medical Section is concerned with all health and sanitation issues. You must have qualified medical personnel - plus you want someone who is skilled/trained in water/sewer treatment management.

C. Site Maintenance Section is responsible for cooking/food/water collection/storage, farming, animal control, etc. It is the largest group, with many special job/skills requirements.

D. Scroungers Section is responsible for finding things needed to support the group. They are the hunters and fishing experts. Used by Security for RECON of local area. Use Younger ex-military types for their ability to hunt and provide outside security in this section.

E. Security Section is responsible for internal and external security of the group, including firearms, hand-to-hand, and weapons training, maintenance and repair of weapons for the group. Senior ex law/military type to oversee inside law enforcement and outside security is best for this job.

This is how my group is setup: it involves 5 states, 37 adults, (?) number of kids, and we have purchased a farm in MN as our ultimate hide out. We have been working together since 1995.


4. SUPPLIES FOR YOUR GROUP: You need to figure out how much food, water and other supplies will be needed to support the group. How many days, months, years are you going to prepare for?

a. Food:

- you need a minimum of 2000-3000 calories per adult per day (SIP) and about 3000-8000 while Bugging-Out or working at your BOL, Retreat, Homestead - See Note 1.

- A Good formula for total calories is No. of people X No. of days X 2000-8000 + 10 Percent = Your No. Again see Note 1.

b. Water:

- Water weighs-in at 8 pounds per gallon so It is hard to carry far. If Bugging Out you need portable water filters in your Bug-Out bags. Filter raw water as you move along.

- If SIP (Stay In Place) you need a minimum of 2 sources of fresh water. Do not count county/city water as a source. You can use private wells, lakes, rivers, any moving fresh water source.

- F.E.M.A. (Federal Emergency Management Agency) now states you need 3-5 gallons of water each day for survival use. Before Katerina it was 1. Lessened learned!

5. Remarks:

I have started posting Beginning Lessons to break down major areas into manageable levels including links, research tips, and lists.

Lessons 1-48 + include: food/food storage, water, Basic planning guide, Homemade medical kit, 72 hour Bug-Out Bag, Retreat Security, Weapons/Ammo Mix, homesteading, basic farming, group make up, Skills needed to survive SHTF.

Future Lessons will include: Types of Firearms, Security while bugging out, Security at your Retreat, Beginning requirements for establishing a Homestead farm, Homesteading Basics, tool list, etc.

6. Notes:

1. A change in how many calories is needed for people who work on a farm using 1890's style mechanical assistance. It is manpower intensive with a lot of manual labor. This book written in 1905 that I have calls for people who work on a farm to eat a minimum of 8000 calories per day to stay healthy.

2. You can set up your group any way you want to. This was our way to establish order out of disorder and has worked for over 18 years.

[rabunmom]

Welcome from south Alabama.

[vinnie]

Welcome aboard