What is your favorite thing about being prepared?

Robert LarsonContributor - April 10, 2021

Why do you prep?

What do you get out of being prepared?

Why should others be prepared?

I love the feeling of having stored up food and water so that I could bunker down for a week or two and be fine if needed. It is so comforting. 

While this isn’t my picture, I have it saved on my computer as a goal of what I want to accomplish someday. I’m slowly growing my food storage, and hope to make some awesome shelves like this in the future.

Then just as a reminder:

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I like that picture of the food storage and the cross bar holding the glass jars on the shelf. Would be smart to implement that, especially in earthquake country. 

My food storage looks pretty similar to the second picture. wink wink… Got plenty of canned goods.

What I like about being prepared?… It brings me satisfaction that I can help out others if needed. 

 

Robert,

Thank you for a great topic. I really like the pictures also.

I prepare because it is within my control and ability to mitigate the unexpected or unpleasant situations in life that can create hardship.

I get peace of mind out of prepping knowing I can help myself and others.

Other people should prep for the same reasons.

 

Not being beholding to anyone or any government, If TSHTF I can sustain and protect my family for a very long time without having to rely on a societal system I do not like, or us becoming a refugees in camps.  It help me take control of my own destiny. 

 

Bill

Control and Captain of my own ship works for me. If I die, it’s not going to be because of the errors of other people.

 

I have studied many horrible events over the years and the conclusion I reached was if I put my families fate in the hands of the government that our chances of survival are reduced and the chances of harm / injury are increased.

Hurricane Andrew and Katrina in the US showed us all that even in the richest country on earth  people can go up to 12 days without help from the government, as did floods in Northern Australia and in Poland in recent decades and the Ice storm that crippled Canada some years ago.  EDC gear and caches / stores of supplies are ESSENTIAL.

911 and 7/7 taught me to always have multiple escape routes from any urban area and to keep essentials with me 24/7 when I go to the city. when I read and saw the images of ladies fleeing new york in bare feet through rubble lined streets because their high heels were lost or ruined, their feet bleeding . And people turned into gray dirt covered statues blinded and choking all for the lack of a pint of water, that was the biggest lesson in EDC NEED I ever experienced.

Ever single one of us who call ourselves preppers have a duty to ourselves and our families to ensure we dont suffer the way the 911 survivors did.  and we need to be able to support ourselves for WEEKS after a crisis.

Marcy Borders died of lung cancer aged 42.

 

Good afternoon Robert,

My day is made !  I carried many a can of ammo frequently at a fast pace.

I prepare as a matter of routine. I consider it “merely” an aspect of home economics, personal health and Civil Defense.

My prepping  derives benefits re savings on food costs, repair stuff/tools for shack, extra health care/medical/first aid supplies and savings.

Others should be preppers because the days of public sector in kind and financial subsidies are just about over.  

 

My BOB goes literally everywhere I go.  I was staying at an Airbnb in another state with a bunch of family members recently when the pipes under the kitchen sink started leaking.  It was nice to say “I’ve got this” and go get my multi tool and fix the sink.  I was also able to sharpen a dangerously dull kitchen knife, give someone earplugs when their partner was snoring, use my vet tape on a sprained ankle and help someone who had a hangover with Advil and electrolytes.  Everyone was joking and saying “what else is in her magic bag?”  and it kind of did feel like magic.  I also got several people interested in prepping and showed them my bag and what I keep in it.  

 

The further I travel from home the more kit I take with me, I always end up needing something out of my gear when I travel.

 

• Confidence that I can handle whatever life throws my way
• Spending time on physical things, outdoors, on topics I enjoy for their hobby/pleasure value
• Being able to help people around me

 

I prepare because I don’t want to be part of the ‘herd’ that has to take last minute actions due to unforeseen events.  A few years back there was a major water main break in our county that affected over 300,000 people.  Many were waiting in lines for hours for a case of water and it didn’t take long for the region to run out.  Instead I spent my time helping CERT pass out water, knowing that I had an ample supply. 

Also, I want to be able to make my own choices.  At the beginning of the pandemic, I had enough supplies so I could choose not to go out if I felt the situation was too uncertain.  I can also choose not to pay exorbitant prices for ammunition and firearms.

 

You made a good point that I enjoy as well. If I have bought an item before the surge and demand, I don’t have to stress, fight for, and pay high prices for the same item. 

I bought a bunch of N95 masks and ammo years ago, now when those both have been so scarce, I haven’t had to fight any crowds or pay high prices for them.

 

Well said, Bigwig. 

It was a surreal experience watching the line ups everywhere on the local media. The empty shelves and item limits happened so quickly. Even people who had the money couldn’t buy anything because there wasn’t much to buy.

People exposed themselves to contracting a virus while in a lineup for the possibility of purchasing something was even worse. The price increases didn’t take long to happen either.

Good on you for helping out with CERT also. That’s a bonus of being prepared. We can help others because we are prepared.

 

The other benefits of pre-pandemic preparation:

• Products will likely not have been exposed to the pandemic agent.  At the beginning, we didn’t know much about how the virus was transmitted or how long it remained active.
• Products produced after the pandemic may be of reduced quality due to the pressure to get products out.  I’ve noticed quality changes in products like disinfectant wipes and paper products.

 

Bigwig,

Excellent points. I have noticed quality/quantity changes as well.

 

I consider it a life skill of being a responsible adult and citizen.  Not that I’ve done it well for my entire adult life (waxing/waning in efforts and are we ever finished?), but I have always had some amount of preparedness as part of my value system.  Not many of my college peers had a blanket and boots in their trunk at all times.  It increases my situational awareness, hones my confidence to act when everyone else is stunned (or panicked), helps me be calmer and help others when needs arise: I had toilet paper for friends who didn’t anticipate the pandemic shortages.   

 

Alicia,

Well said, Alicia. Your first sentenceis exactly what I believe prepping to be:

“a life skill of being a responsible adult and citizen”

I think the wax and wane aspect is because life happens and we are human and evolving as we mature.

I know for me, it is ingrained and assimilated into my lifestyle and mindset now.