Now What?

There is really nothing new here. I have said all this before, but each time there is some kind of crisis people start looking for help. This is good or at least is better than not looking. Although, a proactive approach instead of a reactionary one should be our goal, so in that vain, let’s talk, again, about what we can do now to be more prepared for the future…Whatever it may hold.

I once received a comment on my blog that I was preaching to the choir. That no one that needs to hear what I have to say is listening anyway.

The many emails waiting for me this morning very much dispute that fact. Lots of what gun should I buy, where can I get ammo and the full on panic, WHAT SHOULD I DO are the main themes.

However, the comment made about no listening may be mostly true a lot of the time. Otherwise I wouldn’t be getting the emails now.

But, from the comments I get here, on FB and the daily emails I receive many people that is starting to change. Those who have not prepared at all or very little are reading my blog and lots of others too.

I know the general reaction from some long time preppers is that these people are sheep and should have thought about this before and too bad, so sad, but that is not my perspective.

There are people, who like a person I used to know told me she knows she isn’t prepared and knows she could not save her kids from a bad guy attack, but she is fine with that. She isn’t going to make any changes. She is probably going to conform and stick her head in the sand hoping and praying nothing bad happens to her and she is not alone. I pray no harms comes to her or anyone as well, but for those people (and there are many) who want to do something in addition to prayer I am glad your looking and asking now.

The first step is to remember not to let the current state of things get you down. As I have said again and again in my post…Do Not Freak Out!

I understand how hard it is to catch up. I have 4 children who live in my house. Six people plus a son, DIL and grandbaby that will end up here if things get ugly. That’s a lot of mouths to feed, tons of bodies to keep clean, healthy, and not to mention protect.

Thinking about guns, ammo, water, food, alternative sources of heat, first aid, plus learning new skills seems overwhelming. In addition to buying those extra items and adding to my skills set, my husband and I have to maintain our life. Our kids still want to have a special birthday meal or new clothes or go on vacation. We, essentially are a one income family with lots-o-kids. Trust me when I say both time and money are at a premium here.

I can’t go off to every knife class out there and I worry my skills are no where near adequate to fend off the bad guy, but I do know I am better and more skilled now than I was last year at this time.

Whatever you do be sure you learn from your experience. If you waited to buy a certain kind of gun or gun part or ammo and now are in the Oh Shit crowd, learn from it! Apply that knowledge to get yourself ready in other areas.

If for some reason the gun or ammo you want or need is currently unavailable or too expensive then refocus somewhere else.

The money you planned to spend on ammo can go towards food or water storage. Maybe buy that heater that doesn’t depend on electricity. If a gun course is booked or not feasible due to ammo shortage take a different self defense course. Maybe Krav Maga or a knife course. Sign up for a first aid class or build up your home medical kit.

Suppose your still a lurker and haven’t done a thing to plan then may I suggest, even if you are not ready to accept the way the world is going, at least take the time (30minutes) to search the Internet on people effected by natural disasters. Hurricane Sandy is enough of an example, but by no means the exception…no food, no water, unsanitary conditions, price gauging, looting, little to no government help…

Some skills to be able to keep the looters away, a little extra water, some food and a decent first aid kit is a great start.

Do not use lack of ammo as your excuse to panic and do nothing. The more scared and unsure you feel probably means there is plenty you could be doing.

Look around at all the crazy gun/prepper folks. Those that started before us. Those with guns and ammo and food and skills…do they look nervous?

No.

And why?

Because they are prepared. The more prepared you are the more relaxed you are. I don’t worry about things I worried about 2 years ago because I have a plan and a way to implement that plan. Eventually you will be so well prepared that you will have multiple ways to handle whatever is thrown your way.

In a total collapse situation everyone is gonna suffer. Being prepared will not mean you or I are immune to difficulties, but it does mean we have a better chance of not only surviving, but doing it in a less devastating way.

Some resources for you. While you will find info on guns on these blogs, they also offer very practical, doable, realistic ideas and suggestions for other ways to prepare.

Patriot Nurse

Trace My Preps

Active Response Training

Tales From The Clothesline

7 thoughts on “Now What?

  1. It was a Merry Prepper Christmas at our house. I’ve given all my kids at least 2 Aladdin lamps (which will heat a small room quite comfortably) in the past. Right before Christmas, one set of kid’s town’s power went it out. It does that a lot. Well, I can’t stand the thought of my grands being cold, so they got an early present of a kerosene heater. (man, that stuff is over $4.00 a gallon up here!).

    For Christmas, they all got Deitz blizzard kero lamps, hand crank radio/flashlight/usb chargers, they were thrilled. Also phone chargers for their cars, to be used as a “away from home” back up. DH got me $, and I was thrilled! Chrismas night, I was ordering the Berkey Water filter I’ve wanted for years…big enough to take care of us all.

    One son has property….remote, but close enough we can all get there in under an hour. Our summer plan is to build a cabin, which we all calll the compound.

    My daughters-in-law want to go shooting. We’re set on the supplies for that (although you can never have enough ammo…but I wonder if any of my friends in brown ever noticed the 1000+ rounds I hauled around before Christmas, LOL!)

    The first Christmas my son brought his future wife to our house, I was amazed she didn’t run away. Everyone got shot guns for Christmas! I told her she had just seen redneck heaven! Thankfully, she stayed, and wants to learn to shoot.

    We work on these things daily, while I wait for my extra magazines to become available. And I’ll be going to the range more, practicing replacing mags at top speed.

    You’re right, it’s not all about guns, and it’s something we should all work at a little bit everyday. for us, it’s just the way we live.

  2. Very well said. I needed this reminder to keep at it. I tend to get lazy 🙁
    Happy New Year!

    Blessings,
    Red

  3. I would like to wish everyone who visits this site as well as A Girl and TSM a happy new year. That said…..hang on to your hats everybody…..I really do think we are headed for some very rough seas.

  4. Many of the mail order ammo sites have most of their items backordered. But nothing stops you from making a backorder. Ok, its gets here in March or April or even June, but it will get here. Same with that new gun. In the meantime, you are right spend your money on some other prep item while you wait. Everyone stay safe in the New Year.

  5. Concur, and I’m seeing emails too… And you’ve got “friends”, that are more than willing to step up- You know that.

  6. We are no where as near as prepared as we need to be and we know that. But we are so much better off than we were this time last year. No, I don’t have the AR that we hoped to buy this year and that is disturbing. But my pistol skill are sooo much better than they were this time last year. Our food storage system is lacking but we are buying a small working farm that already has sheep and chickens on it. This year we are going to learn about raising animals and planting a garden. No fancy water storage unit either; have been talking about buying one for a year. But the property has two working wells on it. It is all about perspective, you can only do what you can. As long as you are making progress forward, you are better off than you were yesterday.

  7. Mrs. Groundhog stole my thunder! “It is all about perspective, you can only do what you can. As long as you are making progress forward, you are better off than you were yesterday.”
    Don’t worry what others may have, just do what you can.

    Some have less means than others. Some are less able to do things physically than others. Whatever our circumstances, we all row our own boat. One thing, however, requires nothing but brain power; having a plan. If you at least think ‘if this, then I’ll do that.’, then you are ahead. Once you have a plan, you can at least start to buy/get/make/learn the items you need to make the plan work. Having a plan puts you ahead of the bulk of the population.

    Happy New Year and may God bless us all,
    DesertRatJak

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