Dear Preppers and Survivalists,
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photograph by
JO2 William G. Davis III
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Status Check
How y'all doing on getting your family's emergency evacuation kits sorted out, packed, and stored in the family's vehicles, school lockers, and work desks?
How about that cache at a friend's or relative's home?
Good, Bad, ... Ugly?
Unless you're willing to spend some cash, you and your partner are going to make some compromises, for now. As the cash becomes available and the price is 'right,' you and your family can make adjustments to your evacuation kits. You can do this several ways.
First, buy the 'new' or 'improved' item, say a used military gortex rain jacket and pants, then sell the 'old' item (a yellow PVC rain suit from the China-Marts) on eBay, Craig's List, or the local flea market to recoup some of the cost of the new item.
Second, you and your family can move items from the emergency evacuation kit to your cache to do a sliding upgrade. An example would be for, say, containers for your stuff. At first, your emergency evacuation kit is in a rolling suitcase and your cache is in plastic garbage bags (don't laugh). A few months down the road, you and your family get a good deal on some backpacks from the charity store or LA Police Gear. Th new packs are loaded with your evacuation kit while the rolling suitcase gets loaded with the cache's items.
Lastly, you can keep the old stuff as 'give aways' when family and friends show up, after an event, with nothing but the clothes on their backs, 'if' they're lucky.
Packs
Of course, you and your family can have your emergency evacuation kits and caches in anything you like. We store some stuff in plastic totes, such as clothing and foot ware, while other stuff is stored in plastic buckets (mainly food).
But, ... I would like to suggest, you and your family have backpacks for your evacuation kits, for one reason.
Both hands are free to do things, like eat a snack as you and your family wait in line to board a bus.
Ha, ha, ha. You thought I was going to say, ... Carry a rifle ; - )
Handguns
I use to think, you and your family should purchase a rifle for your first defensive weapon. I have since changed my mind about this.
Just like you and your partner will change your minds about what you and your family need to keep in your emergency evacuation kits and store in your family's caches. (Notice, caches is plural)
Don't Go Crazy
Before I move on to the next subject, I would like to remind you, 'Prepping is a process.'
Unless, you're some rich person, you don't have the financial resources to throw money at the problem.
So, ... Take it slow and think about what you're going to do to prepare your family to survive because you don't know 'when' and 'if' an event is going to happen.
Food Storage
There are three different types of food storage, short-term, medium-term, and long-term food storage. (more about that later, in a few months)
Well, ... We (my family and I) have been purchasing beans and rice, for our long-term food storage, from the Latter-day Saints online store. As you know, we have been purchasing a case of rice one month then a case of rice and beans the next month then alternate between the two, next month a case of rice then next month a case of beans.
Well, ... I realized something. This is costing me money.
No, not the actual expense but the shipping.
See, the Latter-day Saints (Mormons) charge a flat rate for shipping, so one case of rice is costing $41.75 while a case of rice and beans cost $86.05 ($40.25 for the rice and $45.80 for black beans) if the shipping is divided between the two items.
So, ... I am changing 'The Plan' to buy long-term food storage every other month, two cases of rice and a case of beans with a case of quick oats added in when money is available.
Inflation
Just so you know, notice the increase in cost from a few years ago?
If you don't or haven't been around here these past few years. A case of rice used to be just over $30. Ouch.
Stop
Are you looking for justification to start prepping or trying to convince your immediate and extended family to start prepping?
Stop doing that.
If you are here reading this, you don't need justification to prepare for the tough times ahead. You have already made the decision. You just need to start doing the work.
If you're trying to convince family and friends, stop that too because you're only annoying them.
If they're not getting prepared, it's on them and their family, sad to say because they will be the ones to pay the price, maybe even die.
At Work
We are in transition at work with a new department being formed.
According to rumour, a slacker has been chosen to run the new department, under my current supervisor. My supervisor has voiced his doubts about this decision because my supervisor is ultimately responsible for the performance of the new department.
Well, ... His attitude, for now, is to help the slacker only to the bare minimum. A policy you might want to take with family and friends that show up at your door, unprepared.
Not Enough
O.K., last one.
First, ... Have you been keeping up with what's going on in the rest of the world?
It seems, Venezuela is headed to the ultimate fate of all socialist countries. The people are staving.
Second, ... Your 'deadbeat' family and friends are planning to show up, unannounced. The same folks that joke you about getting prepared.
Oooh, ... Back to Venezuela.
Have you noticed? The crisis has been going on for a few years.
In other words, you're not storing enough basic foods, such as long-term food storage, so plan accordingly.
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