Time Question

a reply to: g146541
The cat was to help protect his current food supply from mice/rats.
2nd line

We've been "prepping" since the '90s. We'll never "be there" but in that period of time we've had to rely on ourselves only twice, during ice storms when power failed. We learned a lot from the first time and were able to correct the deficiencies in time for the second.
Just buy extra food, supplies on a regular basis as you can afford it. Now that Farmers' Markets are in full swing most places you can buy fresh food and freeze or can it if you're not growing your own. That way you know you'll have clean food instead of having to rely on companies that don't really give a tinker's dam whether you survive or not.
However, if you have a couple of freezers, make sure you have a way to keep them going if the power fails, a generator of some sort.
Depending on your location and the nature of the disaster, you may want to prepare a "grab and go" bag with your essentials in it, both papers and any medicines you need on a regular basis.
How long do you have? Nobody can predict. Just do your best and sleep well at night.

a reply to: DAVID64
I understand this, but...
The family cat not only requires food but will always end up the saddest meal you will ever eat.
Rats while repulsive, you will most probably never cry for their death.

Respectfully, I do not see any point " Prepping " . You' ll be out there fighting it out with other " Survivors " for dwindling resources, it will be savage and ugly.

At best you might collaborate with other survivors, form some sort of alliance, and come up against other, bigger alliances, and again, it might prove to be savage and ugly. You may come off worst.

There will be no civilised behaviour....only survival of the fittest / toughest, which may not be you. Normally survivable wounds or injuries could prove fatal.

The film " The Road " though fictional, puts surviving some sort of global disaster in to perspective for me.

" Prepping "Don't bother wasting your time on this fruitless endeavour. Likely as not, it won't happen. Enjoy life.....

a reply to: Signals

Give me something specific I can work with. It really depends on what you're planning to survive ... and for how long.

Prepping has less to do with stocking up on things, than it does with learning, planning, and the development of survival skills.

Argentus pretty much nailed the generic response with: "Why not prepare now? Hey, if you stock up on foods you like, the worst case is that you save money; what's not to like?"

I think that if you spend your time worrying about how much time you have left, you aren't going to enjoy life very much.

I'm by no means saying "Don't Prep". I'm just saying: Do the best you can, prepare for the worst but hope for the best. If SHTF and you realize you were drastically Unprepared, well, there's not much you can do about it other than adapt and survive anyway. I bet that even the most well prepared people are forgetting something... even if it's that one comfort item that makes things a little less sucky.

In my opinion, no matter how prepared you are, you'll never be completely prepared. Just do what you can and enjoy life as it is now.

a reply to: Signals
1 would imagine its associated with celestial and planetary observer/evaluations & SHARES on what's observed evaluated. Mixed with the political atmosphere of the globe divided by HOPE...

How much time? Nobody knows the future for certain.
The best formula for prepping is, Prepare for the worst and hope for the best.
The time frame of a disaster is and will always be between now and never.

a reply to: Signals

How much time left to prep? Why not prepare now and be ready when and if "it" comes. I personally feel that preparing your mind is the single most important thing.

a reply to: MrJohnSmith

I like that take on it, that movie was powerful, to say the least.

It's never too late though to put some rudimentary kit together, I gotta get started..

a reply to: MrJohnSmith

" Prepping "Don't bother wasting your time on this fruitless endeavour. Likely as not, it won't happen. Enjoy life.....

It seems at least possible that you don't glean the full delights of prepping. Most of us are not hunkered down in a bunker awaiting the bright flash of nuclear weapons; most of us are able to fully enjoy life, knowing that we have done our best to prepare for our families and loved ones. It's the knowledge of having done my best that allows me to really reach for the brass ring.

all best, and be safe.

You shuold be ready Now!
I have food for six months.
and water for 4 1/2 months.
and a good water filter.
one of them backwards ozusy ones?
Reverse osmosis

get what you can while you can, I would not bankrupt yourself on the off chance it comes sooner rather than later... but skip eating out (cook lunches at home take to work, cook dinner rather than go out) instead save the money to prep.

Personally 6 months ago I thought greater than 5 years... I think the deadline is creeping closer, but I am still not going to spend every penny I have on prepping, because well what if I am just paranoid.

I am about to PCS to Europe, if everything is good when I return I will be buying a remote piece of land and start building a cabin to retire/bug out to as needed.

I have 4 months food supply 2months water multiple ways to purify water. bags I can fill in the back yard to turn into sandbags so I can harden my home if need be.

Figure out what makes you comfortable and plan and prep in that direction... if nothing happens everything I have bought as a prep can be used in other capacities.

I still doubt it will be in my lifetime, but probably in my kids' lifetime.
Moreover, it's important to at least have a BOB with you all the time, for ANY kind of emergency, SHTF or not.
Can't tell you how many times mine has come in handy, where I've had to dig something out of it to use.

My own prep plan is basically a 5 year plan, as budget dictates things in stages. In addition, life events can alter it as well.

My primary focus areas are:

1. Replenish-able Water Supply (we have a well, but I need non-grid access to it)
2. Replenish-able Food Supply (planned garden, fruit trees and bushes, and we just got chickens, may add goats)
3. Numerous Power Options (Generators, diesel fuel stockpile, batteries, solar, propane, etc.)
4. Information (pdfs, actual books, videos, schoolbooks, etc.)
5. Transportation (we have horses, and a diesel truck and regular fuel truck, hopefully ways to make biodiesel, etc.)
6. Defense (guns, ammo, improved fencing and numerous levels of fencing, vehicle stoppers, etc.)
7. People (getting a good group of skilled individuals together who are also friends)