Preppers
 

Are any of YT family Preppers? I am not exactly a prepper, but I am interested in "setting by" some human supplies and more importantly items my furkids would need in case of civil unrest, solar flares knocking out the power grid, etc. I have enough treats and chews to last forever and a day or two, but real food, I'm not so sure about.

I have some Red Barn meat rolls that I am going to dehydrate. I've done this before and used them as treats, but I think it would serve as "emergency rations" as well. I know that this isn't the best option, but better than having to feed stale kibble.

I like to watch the tv shows where they do all the doomsday prepping.

We aren't preppers at all, and I honestly hope doomsday doesn't come until after I've used up all the fabric in my studio.

I'm not a prepper, but I always wonder if I should be storing some stuff just in case. Another thing I worry about...like in case of some real disaster...is that we don't own a gun, and I wonder if we should. I wouldn't even know where to start in buying a gun! But then again, I've always wondered if I buy a gun, will that dang gun draw in some sort of situation where I have to use it - I'm so paranoid about a gun! Do you own one?

I've seen some of those prepper shows on TV and those people get really serious! I can't believe some of the stuff they have/make/invent. Some of it is really pretty cool.

I'm not one of those survivalists.... My brother profits off of that fear by selling the doomsday food, same as Costco and Walmart. If it gives you piece of mind, buy human food, a yorkie can eat that in an emergency... but why waste good treats for him now, too long on the shelf, it's stale.

Being prepared is one thing, being scared is ludicrous.

I also am not a prepper but I watch a lot of people on YouTube that are. The TV show Doomsday Preppers or whatever really gives them a bad reputation and makes them look like a bunch of nutty dingbats. I've seen a couple episodes and these people are NUTS. I have a lot of admiration for those I consider more I guess "realistic" preppers... people who put a lot of work and effort to be more self-sustainable...some grow a lot of their own produce and do a lot of canning/dehydrating and shop sales throughout the year to stock up on essential food items and other supplies (way beyond my capabilities at this point) etc. We live in a little apartment in the suburbs so I'm sure my BF thinks I'm strange for watching YT videos on keeping farm animals and canning butter and whatnot lol but it's fascinating to me.

I think prepping is something we should all do to an extent, just in terms of having a back up plan for any unexpected event. Not necessarily for a complete SHTF situation but it's a good idea to have something planned even for things like losing your job/source of income for a period of time or even as we've seen with this terrible weather the past couple weeks. I'm definitely stocked on dog food and supplies! LOL but I do think about my human family. Actual prepping is something I'd be more interested in if I had more space in our apartment and time and money. This whole thing is very interesting though...it seems kind of overwhelming to me on where to even start...I'd love to hear from people who actually do this.

Thank you for your responses. I am working slowly at dehydrating some staples so that just in case ....

Ann - you SHOULD have a gun and know how to use it and be willing to use it to protect yourself and your family. Although I am not a doomsayer I do believe that there will come a time when those that can protect themselves and provide for themselves (grow and hunt own food) will be the survivors.

Hubby is going to be my test subject. He is going on an epic motorcycle trip across the country - camping along the way. I will be preparing some dehydrated food that he can rehydrate and eat along the way. We shall see how tough the old fart is -- will he stick it out in the tent eating warmed rehydrated meals OR will he wind up at the Motel 6?

If the weather turns wet, motel 6 is just fine... LOL :)

If you're interested in some ideas, this lady does a lot of meals like that (in a jar or pouch). Love her! I think she makes these meals for her husband to take on hunting trips or something. Here's a link to one of her videos if you're interested.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcI7...7126F1F151974F

I'm gonna watch a few of those.... Love to camp!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcI7...7126F1F151974F

Her food always looks so delicious...I think almost all of the recipes she posts are things I'd love to eat

Thank you - going to check her out.

My dad is *very* into it. He even built himself (learned thru YouTube) a solar power panel in our garage that can power up a portion of our house. He's got 2 generators, one is all hooked up to a switch in our house. He's also bins of freeze dried food that will last 20+ years (I think). He's got lots of different weapons. Yeah, he's prepared.

I should add he's not a freak that thinks we're going to have a Zombie Apocalypse or anything LOL... he just wants to be prepared for any kind of natural disaster, etc.

We aren't preppers, but we've talked about getting one of the food emergency kits once we get a house again and have storage. Something like this Augason Farms Premium Food Storage Kit - 1 Year - 4 Person<br>Limited Time Offer - Sam's Club . We both have guns as well. I have 2 handguns, and my bf has a couple (not sure how many, he always has his eye on a new one and randomly buys one or sells one). It's a good feeling to know I can protect myself and my furbabies when he's out of town if someone tried breaking in!

We are the kind of household that can't go 48 hours without a trip to the grocery store, so I have often thought of stocking up on essentials.

In our area, a hurricane and a couple of tropical storms cleared the grocery stores shelves.

I often wonder how long food and essential items really last though. There is so much that wouldn't go more than a couple of years. Even canned foods have expiration dates, don't they? I often end up throwing out frozen veggies that wilt in their unopened bags.

Wait, what???

People camp and sleep in tents and sleeping bags?? What about air conditioning and heat? What about snakes and forest critters?? Skunks, armadillos and beavers and badgers and mountain lions and other creatures that can eat your face!!?? What about showers and toilets and shampoo and toilet paper??


Can you tell I'm spoiled? I won't "camp" without a travel trailer and the comforts of home.

I remember growing up camping in a tent, and I refused to sleep one night because the state park we went to had a warning sign when we entered, warning us about alligators or crocodiles (whichever we have in southwest texas) and I was like OH HELL NO!!! I wanted to stay somewhere else, and then it rained and rained and rained and I blubbered all night about the rain making the lake flood and the alligators/crocodiles coming up to the tent camping areas and I didn't want to get eaten by an alligator/crocodile, etc etc. I really think my mom wanted to feed me to them just to get me to shut up lol.

I also remember when my ex husband was in the navy and was out on a 6 month tour, I was home alone with my 8 month old daughter, living in Virginia and hurricane Bob came close. A lot of the locals weren't doing anything, but me, having never been in a hurricane before, stocked up on water and flashlights and batteries and canned food, etc. I was appalled that people were throwing hurricane parties!! They weren't calling for evacuations, or even saying it was going to hit near us, I think it hit Rhode Island, but I was hunkered down in the hallway with all my stuff and my little girl, ready to ride it out lol. And for the record, if the weatherman even says the word "tornado", I run for the bathroom and hunker down with the dogs. Last year, a tornado swept through the outskirts of mesquite and my son's school kept them past the let out time. They moved them all to the hallway and he asked a teacher why- she explained about the tornado and he told her "I know its against school rules, but is really need to call my mom-she's terrified of tornadoes". She let him and my phone rings and the conversations goes something like this:
"Hello"
"Hey mom, it's Ryan. Are you okay?"
"Yes"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. No. Maybe"
"Are you at home?"
"Yeah"
"Are you in the bathroom?"
"Yeah"
"How long have you been in there?"
"Since 12:30 when the winds started blowing really hard and the weatherman said there was a tornado watch in Cleburne"
"Mom, cleburne is 85 miles west of us and its 4:30"
"I know, but the wind was blowing north east and it doesn't take long for tornadoes to travel. I was being cautious"
"Okay, are the dogs oaky?"
"Yeah, but they're tired of being in the bathroom"
"Yeah you should probably let them out for a little bit"
"What if the tornado comes and they're in the dining room pottying and it rips the roof off the house and takes them up into the funnel cloud and I'll never see them again, and it will be all my fault because I came out of the bathroom?"
"Mom, one day you're going to have to get over this irrational weather fear, you do realize this, right?"
"Yeah, one day"
Needless to say I was still in the bathroom when he got home at 5:30. And at 3:40, a tornado did touch down in mesquite and obliterated a kiwi car oil change. But yeah, tornados and alligators/crocodiles are my undoing lol.

I think DH & I could eek out 3 months with what we have in the house. We probably need more gas since we have a generator, and I think the food we have, we could go 3 months... but after that I dunno. I am in no way a prepper. No weapons, but I do have canned chicken & tuna. LOL

I am definitely not a Prepper and could not live that way, but do have enough water stored for an emergency of mother nature. I should get a bit more food but I have enough for a week and that is fine for me.

I hate guns and all the NRA stands for in this country. If one is frightened get a home security system.

or a couple cans of tuna.:D

I'm not a prepper, but I do have a small food storage area in my basement. It makes it nice to not have to run to the store at the last minute for things, plus it lets me shop with the sales rather than buying just because I need it.

There is a great site for those interested in getting started with food storage. They break it down so it isn't so overwhelming. Sign up for the newsletters and you will end up getting all of the information in little bits rather than having to purchase the ebook.

Food Storage Made Easy

They do end up getting more advanced than I am willing to do ( I have no need or desire to store a year's worth of stuff or have dehydrated anything in my pantry). But the basic concepts are easily modifiable.

I agree! We have a security system and we refuse to ever own a gun.

My dad owns a security company and still has tons of guns :) He is a very responsible gun owner (like most people are who are very into their weapons). A security system is great, but if someone is determined enough to come in and kill you, having a gun can't do anything but help yourself more. A security system is a wonderful thing to have in a house, in that it will wake you up, should you be sleeping during an intrusion, it will deter thieves, it will alert police, and protect your house when you're not there.

Why not have a second layer of protection? Much like I take the steps to ensure my dog will get back to me if ever loose... he wears tags, he's microchipped, etc, etc... just all added layers of protection. Using a gun should be a last resort. A home security system would hopefully stop you from even having to use one and hopefully stop or deter criminals from actually entering your house. But there is nothing wrong with responsibly keeping guns in your house, unloaded, locked up, and a person who is professionally trained how to use one.

U.S. Has More Guns – And Gun Deaths – Than Any Other Country, Study Finds - ABC News

It is our right to have one but when our forefathers wrote this, they never would have dreamed of the type of guns there are today. I don't mean to be argumentative and I will leave it at this last post on the thread but our love affair with guns has to be given more thought and I agree with the link that said the more guns, means more deaths. In some countries the police don't even carry a gun.

I will respectfully disagree that more guns mean more death.
People kill other people, not guns. If they don't have a gun, they'll use a vehicle, a tire iron, a hammer, or whatever else they can get their hands on, even their bare hands.

I am not a prepper but I like to think I am prepared enough for a couple of days if needed.

I always have spare food for Sophie Kate and us. I have a couple of gallons of water on reserve. Within the next month I will set up the storm center in the basement just in case (includes a small crate for Sophie Kate and an extra harness and leash just in case I forget it when we head down there)

I have a great weather app for the IPad that warns me of upcoming storms and I can view local live reports. I also have a battery charger for my phone and IPad.

I do not have a gun, honestly my eyesight is not good enough for me to consider myself safe to shoot one.

I'm always interested in this stuff. At work we talk and joke about who's home we will all go to and who will be in charge etc. But seriously, I do think it's good to be prepared.

I think the statistics, though, are quite staggering when you actually compare gun stats in the US vs England - and I mean staggering. It truly makes you think, HARD, about what guns bring to our country.

I really struggle with whether to own a gun. We currently don't. I've always felt so terrified that if I buy a gun, karma will then bring me a bad reason to have to use it...so then I almost feel safer not owning one, lol, which I know makes little sense...just the way my brain thinks about it though.

We own rifles and hunting guns, not hand guns. We only use them for hunting meat....
I would just hit a burgler over the head with something or kick him in the nuts...

LOL :D. I do keep a bat in a corner of our bedroom! :p