How well prepared are you actually

Okay, If a SHTF type thing were to blow up..... whether it be man made or even a natural disaster..... on a scale of 1 to 10........ with 1 as the lowest point on that scale and 10 being the highest and most prepared ..... where do you fit in ????


If you are below 5 what have you done to make ready and take care of your family and whoever is in your group.... and are you still prepping for that unknown issue???

reply to post by lilwolf


I'd give myself a 6.

Ive been trying my best to keep putting stuff aside, and stockpile food, waters, etc. But, my damn girlfriend keeps finding my stashes and breaks into my water, soups, and what not. So frustrating! I'm seriously considering buying a giant safe just for my supplies. That way, at least it would be the last thing standing in a fire or earthquake, and my unprepared neighbors wouldnt be able to break in and grab stuff.

I do feel pretty confident I could make it at least a couple months at this point. It would be rough, but Im sure I would be a master Chess player by the time it was over... well that or a sharpshooter

I wouldn't be able to place an exact number on me, but I know I'm below a five. Its mainly due to me being unemployed and in graduate school

I still try to prepare in certain ways. I have a good compass, know the immidiate terrain and have access to a massive amount of maps. I also have an idea of what directions I would need to go should I need to leave the city.

If I had to stay in the city though, I'm even worse off. I don't have any real way to store water (nor the room to do so), and about 2-3 weeks of non-perishable/semi-perishable food available at any given time, though obviously this changes from time to time (usually when the loans start to run out).

So in some ways I'm ok: I've got plans and I can make fast adjustments to the situation that may come up. On the other hand my basic stores of essential supplies doesn't measure up to any real measure of preparedness.

I'm basically as prepared as I can be without justification. The SHTF scenario could come tomorrow or 20 years from now, so reaction will likely be more valuable than preparedness in that case.

7.

~only problem is same as WhiteDevil013...wife & kids keep breaking into the water/canned food stash~

Got plenty of ammo though, pretty happy with that.

I would say I'm at a 5, almost a 6

I am stashing food and water where and when I can, My gf supports me by letting me get on with it.
I am improving my situation everyday but preparing takes time. There is always new things to learn.
It's not always about the best kit but needing to look at any and all sitx's put them in a list of 1-10, 1 being most likely and then trying to prepare for them in order of likeliness.

5 or 6 : you need to be positive in this situation,

you need a lot of luck, and its start with you in fact.

Even if you have a big bunker and enough food for 100 child.

THere are thing that cannot be prepared , and cannot be done before.

I will prefer a civil war than no war at all in some circumstance, you know.

If you were in nazy germany : what should you do ?

There are things that need to be done sometimes, and this is allways a few men that can and have done them. ( i don't remember the real statistic but in the second war : there was only a few soldier , 3% , who shot against nazy , and in the other hand there are true killers that shot 200 soldier s).

Be positive, and do what you have to do.


[edit on 4-12-2009 by psychederic]

[edit on 4-12-2009 by psychederic]

Short term: about a 9 pretty much.

Past a month on my own, 4-5-ish

Past a month with allies: a solid 8

I'll never say 10, because no one is ever totally prepared in a 'need to dash & disappear' event.

Also ponder your version of a SHTF scenario. For me, that is "You have 1 hour to be 150 yards from your house, and can't return.

Completely depends upon the scenario. I could be anywhere from 1 to 9. Need more info to be certain.

For example if you're talking nuclear war, I'd say I was a 1, because I'm a human and not a cockroach and will likely die quickly even if my geographic area wasn't directly hit (which is highly unlikely).

If it was a "Red Dawn" scenario and I was home when we got invaded (rather than at work or someplace else), I would be a lot more prepared...probably about an 8 or 9...WOLVERINES !!!

I have a couple months of food and 12 gallons plus of 16.9 oz bottles of water. I need more water. So, I must be like a 4-5?

On a scale of 1-10, I would say I am 500+ ready for whatever comes our way.



We have our food, fortresses and our fortitude.


We have our goals clear, our safety defended and our friends, family and faith.



We have our armor and our ammunition. Both used for nothing but the good of our future.



Above all we have our love, intelligence and skills.

If it breaks...we have the engineers and/or mechanics. If it is hurt, we have our medics...if it is starving we have our hunters, gardeners and gathers. If it is out for our blood...we have our forces.

I recommend everyone spends serious attention to creating an environment that no longer needs the system that is about to fail.

I also recommend you filter out all those who are a cancer to "good ideals" and "goodness as a whole".

Food, shelter, water, protection and friendship....very important.

Good luck and do not lay down.



[edit on 4-12-2009 by Mr Mask]

[edit on 4-12-2009 by Mr Mask]

I would say we are a solid 8.
enough food and supplies to last 12-14 months, not counting the fruit & nut trees we have, also not counting the garden we plant every year. And have a great supply of spring water from our spring house along with 3 500 gallon tanks we rotate out on a regular basis.

We feel confident that if anything happens and we do not have to leave home we will be in great shape.

also we have a great network of friends and family that all prep as well, and have arangements set up that we can take them in or go to them if needed.

reply to post by triaxrob

Sounds like a good set up.

I applaud your foresight and preparation skills.

Being "ready" for anything is NOT a crime.

Lets see, I have no vehicle, have to be out of this house in six days and have no visible funds to work with, and there is no organization or human that will help, so I guess a one, except I have God.

In a bad or good situation that makes it a ten and above. I certainly would not count on any humans having my back.

Most talk a good talk here and all over, but when it comes down to it, they would stab you in the back as well.

My folks would help anyone in need and gave so much even though they had eleven children. My dad was Coast Guard and my mother was a Marine. Today most humans do not care about anyone but themselves and believe someone else should help them and others.

So we have chosen the lie and the deception and the fear over Truth, Love, Compassion and Giving.

So I think most people are already bankcrupt and without the real supplies for survival.

Originally posted by spiritwomyn
there is no organization or human that will help, so I guess a one, except I have God.

Then you DO have something.

Most talk a good talk here and all over, but when it comes down to it, they would stab you in the back as well.

Really now? Is that a fact? I have to disagree. Would you, in turn, stab my back if things got worse? I would "assume" you would not. Of course I may be wrong...but if I am....I would wonder "what God" you have having your back?

My folks would help anyone in need and gave so much even though they had eleven children. My dad was Coast Guard and my mother was a Marine. Today most humans do not care about anyone but themselves and believe someone else should help them and others.

Would your parents stab me in the back? Again, I assume not...they sound like the type of people who would rise above such treachery.

So we have chosen the lie and the deception and the fear over Truth, Love, Compassion and Giving.

You have not...nor have I...nor has millions of good humans you may have miscounted.

So I think most people are already bankcrupt and without the real supplies for survival.

You think wrong...many folks are well informed, have been preparing for decades, and are very much able to stand up to whatever comes. Winning in such a day, may be "impossible"...but to stand up you do not have to "win".

As for bankrupt...wealth is not always measured in currency and belongings (both are welcomed of course in anyone's life). But you sound very far from being bankrupt.

You may be richer then you already know.

Be safe and tell God I said hello!

I can do reasonably well for up to about 3 months.

After that, we'd be getting pretty hungry.

I try to buy in bulk and we usually have a lot of canned and dry goods around. We try to date everything and consume from oldest to newest.

But you really have to work at it to be well supplied.

Originally posted by polychronopolis
Completely depends upon the scenario. I could be anywhere from 1 to 9. Need more info to be certain.

For example if you're talking nuclear war, I'd say I was a 1, because I'm a human and not a cockroach and will likely die quickly even if my geographic area wasn't directly hit (which is highly unlikely).

If it was a "Red Dawn" scenario and I was home when we got invaded (rather than at work or someplace else), I would be a lot more prepared...probably about an 8 or 9...WOLVERINES !!!

looking at it this way..... all scenarios are pretty much the same...if you are prepared for one...you are pretty much prpepared for all of them because they pretty much involve the same things to store away.... food, water, clothing, medical, commo., guns and ammo for defense, bug out vehicles or what ever....

so they are all going be pretty much the same whether it is a nuke strike or a natural disaster...

Originally posted by spiritwomyn
Lets see, I have no vehicle, have to be out of this house in six days and have no visible funds to work with, and there is no organization or human that will help, so I guess a one, except I have God.

In a bad or good situation that makes it a ten and above. I certainly would not count on any humans having my back.

Most talk a good talk here and all over, but when it comes down to it, they would stab you in the back as well.

My folks would help anyone in need and gave so much even though they had eleven children. My dad was Coast Guard and my mother was a Marine. Today most humans do not care about anyone but themselves and believe someone else should help them and others.

So we have chosen the lie and the deception and the fear over Truth, Love, Compassion and Giving.

So I think most people are already bankcrupt and without the real supplies for survival.

then essentially you have rolled over and are going to just quit.... Why,???

It is never to late to start prepping for whatever comes down that road..... I might be a lot older than you...but this is something that I see quite a bit especially with the younger folks... they seem to think or want to depend upon the government to do it all...when in fact the govt. cannot even run the post office ..... no.... you can get things together...You say you are alone.... nope... you got God and that is the best strength you can have.... and he can help you put things away... but you have to take the step.... because he is not going to do it for you anymore than the government is going to do anything for you.... every time you go to the store...and you see something that is cheap and on sale... buy 2 and place one on the shelf for a storage issue..... pretty soon you have your food supply.... is is not an overnight thing to do... but with determination and a willingness to do for you and yours... everything is possible...

You give up on yourself and you are no good to others around you and in the end you will be dead.... and again no use to anyone.... so time to cowgirl up and start prepping...

Hi! For easy stored water, look in people's recycle bins and take the old bleach bottles. Remove the labels, rinse with hot water, and presto! Water storage, with a hint of bleach to keep it germ free and fresh! People on wells should save lots of these, no electricity, no pumping up water. Also,
brand new clean gagbage cans would make a great storage container of water. Cut out an opening for the drain pipe to go into the lid and place the garbage can under the gutter drain pipe. This helps to keep mosquitos out of the water, they lay eggs in water. You collect water off the roof when it rains. Instructions for turning a gas powered lawn mower into a generator are on the web. A generator could be run for a few miutes a day to get water up out of a well. Gasoline would also be a priceless commodity.

reply to post by Mr Mask


Well it is a good setup we have, expensive also. we build 2 underground cellars to store items in, they have sump pump systems installed just in case, although in the 2 years that they have been completed they have yet to have any water get in. even with the flooding we had in 2008.

we spent $43,000 (not counting the cost of the doors etc.) on just the cellars. they maintain an average temp of 62 deg f,
and the humidity level is very low 7%. the doors seal 100% so no worry about rodents or pests getting in. And there is an $7500.00 air circulation system installed so they can be used as shelters.

The cellars are 100% solar/battery for the lights and pumps. these are accessible from our basement and are not visible from above ground. we are planning on building another with a barn over it to use as storage area for items we do not want near our food stuffs.

together with the cost of shelters and shelving plumbing lighting etc i would say we have around $100,000 invested.I
s it worth it? i think so.
Even if we have to leave home and someone else comes in trying to plunder or steal, they will not be able to find the entrance to these, and if they did they would have a hard time gaining entry into them. so We know our supplies would be there when i was able to return.

reply to post by triaxrob

Well done, and well made!

I must say though, I am a bit worried of you posting the details so clearly of your "fortress of solitude". I wonder if there is a danger in making it public knowledge of your "set up".

But...if you do not care who knows what you have...then who am I to question your right to post it.

Not being a jerk...just a little concerned (although admittedly, perhaps overly).

Hey, if your side survives the "biggest day of bad stuff", I hope we can barter between our camps.

Keep up the good work...those around you in your good favor are lucky to have a "thinking man" on board.

I only hope we live close enough to communicate after the day.

Peace and good fortune to you.