Welcome Preppers and Survivalists,
For you folks that have been reading the blog for a little while, you know that I link to James Dakin, at Bison Survival Blog, regularly. There's a reason for this. He believes that you and your family should buy the basics (bolt-action rifle, feed-grain wheat, basic grinder, and junk land with a travel trailer) and be done with it. He's right because prepping isn't about consumerism.
Let me explain.
Many years ago, I read a science-fiction story about this guy; who had been conditioned to buy and collect figurines (say plastic frogs). To overcome this addiction, he was reconditioned to buy ceramic cats. Nothing changed, just the type of junk he bought.
Survivalism isn't about collecting survival gear. It's about getting prepared for emergencies.
If you get it, go read the archives. If you don't, let me explain.
For protection.
When you buy a basic rifle like the SKS, all you need is a sling, ammo, surplus ammo carrier, and stripper clips. You don't need to buy a single-point sling, close quarter battle (CQB) scope, electronic range finder, and all that gobbly gook that others would have you buy.
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| Yugoslavian SKS by Thomas Powell |
Same for shelter.
If you buy a few blue waterproof tarps and some rope that will fit through the tarp's grommets/eyelets, you and your family have the beginnings for a basic shelter. You don't need a $100 ultra lightweight backpacking shelter for each family member.
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| Residents use Blue Tarps for Shelter by Patsy Lynch/FEMA |
This goes for water, too.
Do you really need four brand new 55-gallon drums for water? At $135 a barrel? No, you and your family need to collect 1 and 2 liter soda bottles, clean them, fill with city tap water, then add 5 drops of unscented chlorine bleach to the water.
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| Omum Water Bottle by த*உழவன் |
Lastly, food
Freeze-dried food for a one-person year supply will set you back $750, $1,000, maybe $1,500. Is it food that you have eaten? Do you even like split pea soup?
For the same amount of money, possibly, your family can buy long-term food storage such as rice, dried beans, wheat, and extra canned, bottled, and boxed food that you normally eat then add a couple bottles of multivitamins, and your whole family may eat healthy for a year. (or the amount of time your prepping for)
In conclusion, prepping isn't a fashion show. Neither is it a race to see who survives with the most toys.
