What is Doomsday Prepping
What is Doomsday Prepping
All too often, as a Prepper, people not-in-the-know say to me “you’re one of those Doomsday Preppers” and think that Doomsday Prepping is a “Way of Life”. I hear that all the time when I talk to people about prepping and what it means to me. I also hear that from friends that could be categorized as an Extreme Doomsday Prepper and it is their Lifestyle. However, Doomsday Prepping can certainly mean different things to different people. Some feel that anything less than a fully armed underground bunker filled with 3 years of food and water is a waste of time.
Doomsday Prepping is all about preparing for your survival if for you, the “worst-case-scenario” has occurred. Preppers are not only focused on doomsday. Their personal doomsday could be an interruption in their personal supply chain, unemployment, a hurricane or a typhoon that could cause long-term or short-term food and water shortages. Preppers prepare plenty of supplies in their homes, but they are also ready in the event that they’re away from home. This is because you’re most vulnerable when you’re away from home since all your prepping equipment and supplies are back there. That’s why you should prepare your vehicle with a Get-Home-Bag or as I have done for my truck, a Get-Home-Box. I’m in my sixties and in fair shape but if I’m out and the SHTF has occurred, I’ve no intention of walking home. In addition to the large Stanley Rolling Tool Box that I keep my Get-Home-Equipment in, I’ve built a truck bed drawer that holds the components for my Mountain Bike and Trailer. I will be showing the “Truck Bed Drawer” as a DIY in a later blog.
Before buying a lot of stuff, you need to know what you’re Prepping for. Are you worried because you live in a hurricane zone where you may not be able to get resources for more than a few days? Are you concerned that the government will not be able to provide for your well-being? Look at the victims of Katrina and most recently, Puerto Rico. Our President didn’t even know that it was a U.S. Territory and FEMA, “dropped the ball”, again. Are you worried that a weather induced crisis will strike and have it take weeks or months to get the power grid working again? These are good reasons to begin your Preparations for Survival. You hope that you will never have to use the stuff you’ve prepared, but it is still best to be prepared. In case something does happen, you won’t be left hanging and worried about your survival. I think Thomas Jefferson said it best: “Better to have and not need, than to need and not have”
What Does Doomsday Prepping Include?
Doomsday Prepping includes assessing what dangers you will face that you have to be prepared for. A survival kit will usually include security items, water, water purification tablets and/or a mechanical purifier, water bladder, first aid kit, mess kit, food and items of personal hygiene. Survival gear like a sleeping bag, tent, blankets, pillow and a change of clothes suitable to the time of year climate. Plan for the unexpected. In the geo-political nature of the threats from that ugly little fat man with the bad haircut in North Korea and the unfortunate responses from the spoilt Child in an Adult Body that is our President, the threats of nuclear, chemical or God forbid, biological in nature are very real. I’d advise iodine pills, a good gas mask and a hazmat suit. If you live in an area where a natural disaster might be a problem, it is a good idea to have a bug-out/bug-home-bag and supplies kept in your vehicle at all times. Keep your supplies mobile, so you can bring them out right away if you need to transfer locations.
You also need to make sure that your items are secured. Don’t tell everyone you know that you are “Prepping for the Whatever”. When things get bad and food and clean water become scarce commodities, those friends will be knocking at your door expecting you to share with them as they have not prepared for themselves. Most of us think that the people we know and associate with are naturally good people or we would not associate with them.
Most people are basically good, law abiding citizens but that’s only when they are not facing our judicial system as an adversary. Those that you’d assume to be nice will not be so nice at all when the constraints of the “Law”, getting caught being “bad” and having to “pay” for being so. Having sufficient security to be able to protect your home and your family is very important. You can get a stun gun/tazer, pepper spray/CS spray or a baseball bat (better than nothing at all), if you think cannot afford a gun just now. An easy solution is to start saving for one. Check with your local Police Department for when they turn in their old Patrol Car shotguns for a newer model. They’ll show some wear but are very good mechanically. I picked up three Remington 870’s for less than $200.00 each. I have one of them in my truck, another at home and the third at the “hobby farm” I help to maintain with my Family Group. I personally like a sword (1918 U.S. Naval Cutlass) but I do have several guns at my disposal and carry one as I am licensed to do so. I still have that sword in my truck.
If you think hyperinflation will be an issue, you should prepare enough supplies of food of all types; preferably non-perishable . You may want to include survival bars, freeze-dried or dehydrated food or canned goods in your survival kit. By preparing these supplies, you can get the products that you may need and may not be able to get in the future. Prepare at the very least a 3-month supply of food. A 1-year supply of food would be even better. Another thought to pursue is to learn what edible wild plants are prevalent to your geographical location. There is a surprising amount of food out there for the picking. If you live in a house, turn your backyard into a garden or better yet into a Hydroponic or Aquaponics garden that will yield twice to three times what a ground garden will. And with the Aquaponics you get fish as well.
In general, assessing what you need and what you have will make it easier for you to start your doomsday prepping efforts. Know what your weakest points are and determine how you can improve those areas.
Be well to you all, do good works and remember: We are all in this together. Gerald “Sgt. Doc”
PS: If you have something that you need help on feel free to drop me a few lines in the “Contact Us” area and we will try to get back to you within 24 hours.