How to prioritize ?

[Freedom Defender]

Wanted to get some feedback from some of the more wise and experienced members out there on this subject. Given our political climate and all the stuff that's going on , how should I prioritize gathering supplies. Ammo first?? Canned food ?? I feel like I need to be doing it all right now. My wife (who by the way is on board with me now) thinks we'll have time once something happens !! AAHHHHHHHHHH. Nooooooo !! I don't want to be one of those people fighting over the last loaf of bread or shooting someone over some gas. I just need some help trying to figure out what I should accomplish first. Any help would be appreciated.

[snal]

That's a tough one...BUT!...I put firearms and ammo first. I have that pretty much set now, so I'm concentrating on food and other items now.
If I were starting right now...I'd spread my purchases on all of the above, depending on my location. I happen to live in an area where if the SHTF tomorrow I could harvest food quickly (before all of the deer and fish are gone).

[Freedom Defender]

I also live in a rural area of South Carolina and can gather food if needed. Ammo seems to be at the top of the list right now. Getting expensive !! I feel like I need to start looking for a good Honda generator also. The one I want is around $1700. Gulp! Thanks for the quick reply

[snal]

I hear ya! I was looking for an EU2000I, but found a new EU700 for $300 so I grabbed it. It's mainly for our boat. It'll run our onboard 700 watt microwave, 12 volt stuff, and charge the batteries.
I'm in WNC and ammo is hard to find...much less at a decent price. I stocked up on .22lr (52k rounds) before wally world sold out. I have a decent supply of .223/.45acp/.357/.44mag/and 9mm and I have brass in those calibers, so I'm ok.

[Oddball]

I can go pretty long without food or with very little, but I need a constant supply of water. Plan to store some and make sure you can filter &/or purify water if you find yourself without clean water from the tap.

And if you get a generator, be sure to store a decent amount of fuel (with Sta-Bil). During Hurricane Ike and more recently, the severe weather many have experienced this winter, a generator and fuel has been an extremely valuable item.

Remember to date and rotate all your preps. One good site (besides Xcolony!) I've found for survival prep. information is Ar15.com. (It's in the Outdoors section under "Survival Discussions".) I'm sure there are many others as well. Read, read, read....then prep and practice!

[Big_Saw]

#1.....you can't live much more than 3 days without water.
#2.....you could expire in less than three hours without heat/fire/shelter.
#3.....while it should be a priority to store food, you can survive on more than you think in the wild.
#4.....while I am a gun lover/nut...a firearm/ammo is a luxury...not an absolute necessity for survival...ask the Navajo.
#5....knowledge of survival skills, practice in their implementation, and an improvisational mindset should be your very first priorities.


My $0.02.

'Saw.

[kenno]

I break down everything into 3's. Then if I have to, I break those threes into smaller 3's.

Water
Shelter (fire,heat,blankets and clothing)
Food

Transport
Foot (backpack or other)
Motor (fuel)
bicycle

Self Defense
Shotgun (far cheaper than an AR or AK)
Rifle
Pistol
Other

I find that once I have a plan (and a budget) I can operate without feeling like a chicken with my head cut-off!
With a plan in place you can cross-off what you already have and spend your money on the basics covering the areas you are weak on.
One week you might buy a shotgun, a 20 pound bag of rice or flour and a few 5 gallon waterjugs. Next paycheck you might just buy canned goods (buy what you usually eat).
In a few months you will have a decent supply!
Just make a realistic, affordable plan and stick to it!

[beebopcop]

Wanted to get some feedback from some of the more wise and experienced members out there on this subject. Given our political climate and all the stuff that's going on , how should I prioritize gathering supplies. Ammo first?? Canned food ?? I feel like I need to be doing it all right now. My wife (who by the way is on board with me now) thinks we'll have time once something happens !! AAHHHHHHHHHH. Nooooooo !! I don't want to be one of those people fighting over the last loaf of bread or shooting someone over some gas. I just need some help trying to figure out what I should accomplish first. Any help would be appreciated.

The ability to defend what you have should be a done deal. After that, WATER, you have to have WATER, did I mention WATER!! Then your shelter needs to be secured. Then...Food. Canned stuff that you will and yours will eat, dried goods, etc, and don't forget comfort food. A little hard candy goes a long ways. Then fire to cook and heat. Thats just my quick run down. Not meant to be all inclusive.
BBC

[Big_Saw]

The ability to defend what you have should be a done deal. After that, WATER, you have to have WATER, did I mention WATER!! Then your shelter needs to be secured. Then...Food. Canned stuff that you will and yours will eat, dried goods, etc, and don't forget comfort food. A little hard candy goes a long ways. Then fire to cook and heat. Thats just my quick run down. Not meant to be all inclusive.
BBC

Oh yeah...forgot to mention playing cards or dominoes....I'm serious. Ever try to entertain a kid these days without some kind of electronic device? Mental well-being is paramount....gotta entertain your brain, lest you fall victim to boredom and even depression or anxiety..

[Rustyshakelford]

Here are my feelings. I have all the firearms I need, and ammo too. I enough food for 6 months, longer if I can supplement it. Water supplies are ok. Shelter is ok. If I were to start over with nothing, here is what I would do.

Get 1 firearm. A 22 is great, or a shotgun. I saw a really cool semi auto 22 for $99.00 at a hock shop, and you can get 500 rounds for under $20.00.

Store water. Easy, use those 2 litre coke bottles.

Food. Here is what I do. Every time I go shoping, I buy 5 items to add to my supply of food. Today, I got 5 tins of canned corn for $2.50. Last week I got 2 bags of Spaetzle (German Egg Noodles) for $4.00. I also bought 3 lbs of coffee beans for under $20.00.

If you hit the grocery store once a week, you will be stocked up in no time.

I also would hit a big lots or a dollar general. Lots of food, cheap and most of it is long term storage. A note on doing this. Make sure to read labels on the stuff you get from the bargain stores. Verify the expiration dates. The next thing I look at is the country of origin. This means where the food actually came from. This country is different then the "Packed in" or the "Imported by" country. It is often hard to find on the package, but it is worth it. I will not buy food from China or Mexico. Both countries have, in the past, poisoned people around the world with their food, and do not have good quality controls. If you hit the Big Lots, I can say to avoid brands like Polar, and Sunny Valley. They are Chinese companies. Last time I went to Big Lots, I spent less then $20.00 and came home with a huge supply of canned food and pasta, as well as the long term foil packed tomatoes.

Also, you can check out the canned milk section and find the "boxed" milk. It is all we buy now because a gallon of milk goes to waste. The long term stuff is good fo 6 months or longer, and is hormone free and is cheap.

I would say that the next time you go, just tell yourself you are going to get 5 items that you will eat, and that have a long term shelf life, just for the purpose of keeping it in the event it is needed. Don't decide ahead of time, but look around. You can get weekly deals on all sorts of stuff.

Good luck!!

[Freedom Defender]

Wow, thanks for all the replies ! The more I think about it I feel like I'm on the right track. Guns and ammo pretty well covered. Water good. Food, getting better. Securing my house ?? Not so good. I've got a lot of windows and doors. What would be thew best way to cover and secure these? Wood? Metal? Any thoughts? Oh, I've got a 89' well. How big of a generator would I need to power this? My pump is a submersible one. Don't know if this makes any difference. I could hand dig a well here I guess. Water is only about 5 feet down here.

[Big_Saw]

Wow, thanks for all the replies ! The more I think about it I feel like I'm on the right track. Guns and ammo pretty well covered. Water good. Food, getting better. Securing my house ?? Not so good. I've got a lot of windows and doors. What would be thew best way to cover and secure these? Wood? Metal? Any thoughts? Oh, I've got a 89' well. How big of a generator would I need to power this? My pump is a submersible one. Don't know if this makes any difference. I could hand dig a well here I guess. Water is only about 5 feet down here.

As far as securing your house goes...unless you want to shell out some cash and have some serious interior shutters/shields installed (hello, bunker), I'd recommend just keeping a few sheets of plywood in your garage, pre-cut and labeled for each window.We did this years ago. We even went so far as to install HD brackets on either side of each window screwed directly into the supporting king studs. The brackets are hidden by window dressings, and the plywood (3/4" PlySteel subflooring) is re-enforced with a crossbeam style lock when installed.

[Rustyshakelford]

As far as securing your house goes...unless you want to shell out some cash and have some serious interior shutters/shields installed (hello, bunker), I'd recommend just keeping a few sheets of plywood in your garage, pre-cut and labeled for each window.We did this years ago. We even went so far as to install HD brackets on either side of each window screwed directly into the supporting king studs. The brackets are hidden by window dressings, and the plywood (3/4" PlySteel subflooring) is re-enforced with a crossbeam style lock when installed.

How about a sofa, hutch and kitchen table?

[Big_Saw]

How about a sofa, hutch and kitchen table?

Them are good, too, but the plywood's faster in an emer, and in a SHTF, I'd rather not have my kid & wife sitting on the floor.....peace-of-mind and staying cool under pressure can often be directly linked to creature-comforts...;)

Plus, while you might barricade a wdw for a while w/a couch, etc, you'd have a helluva time really securing it, whereas a piceof sturdy ply can be easily attached, even w/screws if need be.

[beebopcop]

Wow, thanks for all the replies ! The more I think about it I feel like I'm on the right track. Guns and ammo pretty well covered. Water good. Food, getting better. Securing my house ?? Not so good. I've got a lot of windows and doors. What would be thew best way to cover and secure these? Wood? Metal? Any thoughts? Oh, I've got a 89' well. How big of a generator would I need to power this? My pump is a submersible one. Don't know if this makes any difference. I could hand dig a well here I guess. Water is only about 5 feet down here.

I'm personally not concerned about securing my windows except with the aforementioned plastic considering all military rounds from .223 up will easily penetrate walls and plywood. If I was going to fortify something it would be a basement or bunker. I don't have a basement and that is why I am building the "root cellar". The othe thing that I have considered is buying sandbags and sand and filling them. You could store them outside under a tarp until you needed them and then start fortifying your walls in the house with them. This would take probably hundreds of bag depending on how big the area you are fortfying. My .02