Hello all, new member and new to prepping

New Members - Introduce yourself, and say a few words
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lsnduck
Posts: 12
Joined: Tue Feb 06, 2018 8:29 am

Hello all, new member and new to prepping

Post by lsnduck »

Hi all,

I've been having a browse around here for a couple of days and it looks a lovely place full of nice people (you'll let me in now right?) so I thought I would introduce myself and maybe join in a little.

I've been concerned about the state of the world for a long time, and recent events have focussed my thoughts. Most of my worries have been about what I expect the world to look like for my children rather than me, but recently I have realised that things could worsen in the near future.

So I've decided to take action. I've been doing a little basic risk analysis; what might happen, timescales, potential impacts, what I could to do to mitigate those impacts. This has let me prioritise and focus on specific actions.

I'm creating a prioritised list system so that I can keep things nice and steady and sensible, not go overboard, not be silly, or get distracted by the shinies.

So:
  • Things to buy/acquire
  • Practical things to do
  • Knowledge/skills to learn.
I'll have a list of no more than three immediate targets that I can work towards at a time.

What am I worried about? In the short term (five years or so) my concerns are a loss of personal income, some sort of distribution chain failure, or a major financial systems issue (crash or failure). I also live somewhere moderately impacted by weather events, so having to temporarily relocate is one contingency I'm considering.

In the longer term I expect a shift in social structure towards that envisaged in cyberpunk culture, i.e. power shifting inexorably towards a limited elite and/or major corporations and a substantial reduction in government function and ability. For what it is worth, I don't think that is a good thing either in practical or moral terms. However, I don't think the world will get too far down that route as I think over next thirty to fifty years the impact of climate change on populations, society, and resource management is going to alter the world and I wouldn't want to begin to guess in what ways.

Thus my short term aims are to make my family secure for relatively short periods of scarcity. My long term target is to make sure my children are as prepared to look after themselves in a difficult, unpredictable world as I can make them.

My current three target list:
  • Buy: Build a two week food stock stored out of the kitchen (not forgetting a tin-opener and a working stove).
  • Do (and a little bit of buy): Put together a basic GHB to live in the car.
  • Learn: Do lots more reading, planning, and developing my plans in more detail.
I don't half gabble when I get writing; if you met me in person it would probably take you two hours to get this many words out of me.

I'm looking forward to participating and learning lots from all your knowledge and experience.

Cheers,
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Deeps
Posts: 5797
Joined: Sun Nov 09, 2014 8:36 pm

Re: Hello all, new member and new to prepping

Post by Deeps »

Welcome to the forum, I hope you find it useful.
pseudonym
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Re: Hello all, new member and new to prepping

Post by pseudonym »

Hello and welcome to the Forum. :)
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xplosiv1
Posts: 426
Joined: Fri Sep 07, 2012 2:12 pm
Location: Scotland

Re: Hello all, new member and new to prepping

Post by xplosiv1 »

Hey welcome, you've some very reasonable concerns and very achievable goals you'll fit in well here
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jansman
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Re: Hello all, new member and new to prepping

Post by jansman »

Great introduction there! Welcome.
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Briggs 2.0
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Re: Hello all, new member and new to prepping

Post by Briggs 2.0 »

A very good well thought out intro. Hello there. I think you're more prepped than you think :-)

(It makes a pleasant change from 'I'm worried about society collapsing, I've bought a machete, a fire-steel and an airgun and I'm running away to the woods'.....discuss).
Off-Grid & Living Outdoors
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lsnduck
Posts: 12
Joined: Tue Feb 06, 2018 8:29 am

Re: Hello all, new member and new to prepping

Post by lsnduck »

Thank you all for the warm welcome.
Briggs 2.0 wrote:(It makes a pleasant change from 'I'm worried about society collapsing, I've bought a machete, a fire-steel and an airgun and I'm running away to the woods'.....discuss).
Although a nice useful knife is somewhere on the list, to be honest I'm more of a pyromaniac.
Arzosah
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Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2012 4:20 pm

Re: Hello all, new member and new to prepping

Post by Arzosah »

Welcome! Yeah, the guys talk reasonableness, but they all have their fave knives and whatnot :mrgreen:

Seriously, brilliant introduction, and it *is* a welcome change - its pretty much how my own analysis goes too. Even short term, though, I'd advise a slightly larger stock - 4 weeks, rather than two. Imagine if both you and your partner came down with flu, such a simple thing - okay, one of you will still have to go to the shops, but its a lot easier if the shop you *have* to do is half your normal size.

Hope you find lots of good stuff around the forum, and look forward to hearing your thoughts on the issues.
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lsnduck
Posts: 12
Joined: Tue Feb 06, 2018 8:29 am

Re: Hello all, new member and new to prepping

Post by lsnduck »

Arzosah wrote:Even short term, though, I'd advise a slightly larger stock - 4 weeks, rather than two. Imagine if both you and your partner came down with flu, such a simple thing - okay, one of you will still have to go to the shops, but its a lot easier if the shop you *have* to do is half your normal size.
Aye, that is my longer term intention. At the moment though, I'm looking to get something built up and financial pressures mean it will take a little while to get to that point.

In reality, we don't go below having one week of food in the kitchen anyway, and typically it is more than two. We do a lot of batch cooking, so the freezer is well stocked with full meals (including prepared food for the baby). So our normal stock plus two weeks long-life food stashed elsewhere feels like a good starting point for me right now, and then I can re-evaluate in a couple of months.
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Deeps
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Re: Hello all, new member and new to prepping

Post by Deeps »

Food is a funny one, we didn't eat much tinned food other than beans and tuna so I had to adapt my eating slightly to 'justify' hoarding more tinned food, going by the mantra of 'store what you eat, eat what you store'. Each trip to the shops I just added to the stash, it didn't take long to build up to a couple of weeks. My initial plan was a months worth built up over time but I've exceeded that but I have the space, its what works for you really. Good luck with it.