Becoming A Prepper

For me it started as a kid, learning to hunt and process my own meat, grow my own vegetables and can them for use year round. We learned a lot of stuff from a young age and I'm trying to pass my knowledge on to my kids and anyone else who wants to learn.

 

As of right now we are in the process of becoming 100% self sustainable, we have many projects going on at my house including our greenhouse, solar panels, our organic garden, home and land defense, for us at the moment with becoming a hundred percent self sustainable is finding areas that we can hunt for our own meat but we do have rabbits that we breed as well as I have a neighbor is that has chickens so I can trade him for eggs we are also looking at getting chickens for ourselves so we don't have to rely on a neighbor.

 

Boy Scouts - Always be prepared motto.

 

I'm a watcher more than an active pepper. I've seen a few programmes on TV about prepping and taken off the 'American TV overkill drama', from them and decided there is something in it. I've enjoyed bush craft since I was a kid but have let all my skills fall aside for at least a decade. It's time to get back into it! I have a bug out bag and a bug out plan. Other than that I have a lot of work to do!

 

Another thought about being a prepper is not just end of the world situations but maybe losing your job, just being prepared for life's mishaps can prepare you for things far worse.

 

I find it very freeing that I can be dropped almost anywhere with the clothes on my back and my pack, and know that, I will be OK.

 

The 2008 financial crisis started it for me. And simply watching the direction our country is heading. So sad.

 

I've always been an outdoorsman so preping became only natural to me. As my family grew the weight of being ready for whatever started to grow. Being in the military helped my knowledge grow and opened my eyes as to the conditions families abroad live. It's a scary world, tours in the middle east, Africa, and South America, has allowed me to wake up to the real world
But I haven't lost my faith, but safety in numbers is always appreciated.

 

THAT'S awesome! When I moved to Oklahoma the home my wife grew up in is located more or less in town. I want to go self contained but harder where we are. City codes looking for a piece of land out in the country for our bug out home,so right now just plan to bug in. I'm working on that part of the trip.

 

I guess the bug bit me quite young. At 11 years old I wanted to be self sufficient on 10 acres due to the (at the time) law stipulating that you needed 10 to be exempt from septic regulation. With ten acres you filtered your waste before it got to a neighbors water supply. My father was an entrepreneur in construction and cabinet making and my great grandfather had chickens and acres of food growing (I particularly liked his berry patches). I joined the service and after a divorce stripped me of everything I thought I had, I was starting over when Y2K flopped. I've always watched politics and decided early on I wanted no part of the status quo - registered as an independent and am proud to say I've never cast a ballot for a winning candidate. This may hiss some off or confuse others but I cannot be blamed for the crap happening today because I voted against it. As things began to slide south here in America I dove into prepping to try to ensure my children's future and currently have fruit trees, perennial berries, teas, herbs and even a few hardy kiwi growing in Pennsylvania. Metal purchases for insurance against financial calamity, ammo boxes full of self defense metals (copper jacketed lead), heirloom seeds enough to share with neighbors and some solar going on and have grown vegetables on the surface of my wife's koi pond (now that's an area of aquaponics that surprised me at it's effectiveness). I've tried unsuccessfully to get mushrooms going but will try again until I figure out what I'm doing wrong. This lifestyle has always just appealed to me, so I hope to help and I hope to learn here.

 

I think I was born this way. It is part of my faith as I like to try to depend on no man. I think being poor has made me able to adapt and to build and create the things I could not afford. I live without bought electricity by choice. As a 26 year recovering alcoholic/drug addict I found yourself and the L-rd are the only ones you can depend on.

 

Started young...country boy...hunting...shooting....Army...traveled the world...back home...daughter is 9. World is changing and our country is really (IMO) heading for a crash. Becoming self-reliant and off grid has become a goal so that I can provide for my family in ANY situation.

 

I'm a lot like many here. I started as a city boy. Got moved to the country with my grandparents because of all the fighting. It was a good move. Out in the boonies, you're always a prepper since you're living off what you grow, harvest, or livestock. Canning, butchering, etc., was a way of life.

 

Learned a lot growing up (military and country family). Spent a decade or two being an idiot, and letting a lot of that knowledge fall into memory. But have spent the past several years wanting to start learning again. No money to drop on gear, but I know that if I were dropped almost anywhere in the US, I could survive. Now however, it is more about keeping my family alive, in good health, and prosperous when SHTF. I see where the country is headed, and we need to prepare now more than ever. I grew up reading old Army field manuals, and have a few in my library today. Time to get out of the house, and into the bush, when my back will let me.

 

Think I had that independent streak from birth not wanting to rely on others for my well being
At 8yo wanted bug out bush but being a skinny little pommie kid in Worthing bush was not much at all
Then a miracle happened and at 9yo I found myself in Australia in paradise.
Like I was born again in adventureland,
Been one long adventure since! prepping and survival has kept me going!
Have now had sixteen very close calls with the grim reaper but I am still sucking air and everyday is a great day!

 

Never been to Australia but would love to get there. Know the laws are different know how they have changed here, can only imagine what they are like there. Welcome my friend, awesome to meet you

 

I''m a prepper - not a survivalist - and I think there is a huge distinction between the two. I won't be bugging out into the woods and I prep so that if thing go wrong, I can still live a comfortable life at home. I have no desire to be living under a tarp in a field and I think the chances of that becoming a necessity are slim to nil, at least in my lifetime. I prep because I don't want my way of life interrupted; if I lost my job tomorrow, I could feed myself for six months without having to spend more than a few ££ at the grocery store - that to me is invaluable, and much more likely than the balloon going up and society grinding to a halt.

 

My husband is the one who started it. We lived in a city and the drama and the violence started to affect us so he wanted to move back home. He didnt really tell me a whole lot just that we were moving into the country. We literally live on a street where it is his family and trees. We have trees in front of us behind us and beside us. He is a hunter and we have a garden we go to the store and in town maybe once a month to get things we cant make or grow out here. I love it, the lack of being around people and their attitudes. We are talking about digging and putting a house underground or building a tree house. Just depends on time I think. We are content right now but being a prepper is thinking about the future.

 

Honestly, I am not a pepper but I am here to learn. Survival is extremely important to me especially since I am military

 

I thought about becoming a prepper when I start listening to people talk about how our economy is going to tank. I am hearing about it over and over again. We know how bad it can be when there is a snow storm or major disaster and the store shelves becomes empty. I didn't want to be one of those fighting for food to feed my family. So one day I decided to just start to stock up. If I saw something very cheap I would try to buy a lot. Then I start searching You Tube videos and this was the first time I saw the term, prepper.

 

I grew up always being interested in providing for myself naturally. I mean, that is what we have this gorgeous green Earth for, right? My parents always gardened, we raised crops for extra income, raised cattle for milk and beef and had chickens for eggs. I would love to one day be able to completely rely on our farm we live on now to provide everything we need. It would mean investing financially in the beginning, but it would definitely pay off in time.

 

I used to quite casual erson, trusting the system will keep on going uninterrupted as long as I will be around, but the recent war in Ukraine made me rethink my optimistic atttitude. It feels that being prepared for a major disaster can be worth the effort, and the pricemof being caught unready can be lethal. Though I have to admit I'm also hoping to make it a hobby - I have a very dreary job and I need a more engaging stuff to do in my free time.

 

My younger sister and her husband are preppers. I really need to start prepping myself because the economy doesn't seem to be moving forward. I am more of a survivalist but also becoming a pepper would make it a lethal combination. I'm starting to stock up on can goods but I need to learn more.

 

I like the idea of living off the grid. A year ago, I lost a good paying job due to one mistake and a boss that was looking to get rid of employees. It was shattering at the time, but in the months since then, I have re-learned the lesson of how little it takes to really survive. I like the idea of couponing to the point of earning money at it. I would like to reach the point where I don't depend on the utility companies, but that might take a while.

In the meantime, I'll settle for learning as much as I can about ways I can depend less on others and provide for my family by living off the land.

 

Recent television series have sparked my interest more recently. Although, I have always been curious. I would actually say I haven't began prepping, and hadn't planned to until finding this site. Now that I've joined and looked around I've been thinking it may be in my best interest after all.

 

I live in California and we are in a constant state of drought. I started with growing my own food and filtering water to keep my garden thriving. I have been learning more over the years and just making sure that my family does not go hungry during these tough times. I am always trying to learn new skills and trade secrets with other preppers. I am so happy that I found this forum! I am so excited to learn new tips.

 

Up until recently I'd have called myself more a "watcher" as someone else in the thread called it. I had an interest and enjoyed movies, books and tv shows along the survivalist theme and have only recently started wanting to gather skills, knowledge and supplies so that I can feel prepared. I think getting married and discussing starting a family has pushed me to prepare. I know that if something were to happen I would want to be as prepared as possible to care for my family.

 

Personally, I went through two disasters--one major, one minor--to realize that I needed to be more prepared than I thought. The first disaster was an ice storm that left our town without power for 7 days in the dead of winter. The second was Hurricane Katrina. I wasn't a native LA resident but went there while the Hurricane was still occurring to help and stayed for many months to follow to help. It was an eye-opener.

 

I am new to becoming a Prepper. I have watched several television programs about prepping for disasters etc. It scares me a little if I can be honest. I am hoping to learn and explore on this forum to help met be more prepared and aware.

 

I only started showing an interest in this a couple of years ago. I still have so much to learn. Reading all the posts and threads of the different things everyone has already done makes me quite nervous. I have a couple of survival tools, but right now, they are all scattered around the house. After joining this forum I am definitely going to get all my tools and stuff into a bag. The problem I have is doing this on a budget, and finding an affordable, durable, "big-enough" bag to put everything in. In total, I have 2 adults and 2 small children to prep for. I can safely say that this forum has motivated me to get my head out of the ground and start prepping actively.

 

Watching the news and trying to explain it to my kids got me started. Now it rattles me how totally dependant most folks are on modern conveniences and incapable of providing for themselves. I don't intent to "bug out" my family lives on 160 acres now, 20 miles out of town. We are building what we need and relearning the skills out grandparents used to get by. I find groups like this open my eyes to a lot of good ways and ideas. Hope I do the same for you.

 

We are planning for an economic collapse of epic proportions, far worse than 2008. The U.S. elections, Syrian conflict, higher unemployment, first time in history person debt far exceeds the GDP, stock positions, the housing bubble are all going to crash. The central bankers, the elites are driving where we are going, we have no control of what's coming. The collapse will either occur because of the election or the election result will cause it all to come tumbling down. We're new to prepping but we are preparing. Have stocked up on food, water, medications, gasoline, solar cooker, solar generator and solar panels, emergency food packs, medical supplies, etc, etc. We continue to research and learn what we need to do to be "ready" hence being here to be with likeminded others.

 

I think i was born a prepper.I had a difficult upbringing so I alawys struggled to survive.The older i got the more self sufficient i became as resources became more available.Now i am in a good place and prep every day.Sometimes its building up my supplies,sometimes it may be reading or watching videos. There are so many aspects to prepping so i never feal that im totally ready. Thanks for having me on this forem.I hope i can learn some and maybe help someone else improve their prep

 

Ive always loved getting up scrub, but with recent(ish) issues within the government and society I've decided that i just need to b ready. Not so much for unnatural events but more events such as societal breakdown, invasion, economic collapse etc.
I have 2 kids now so it all seems more imortant now more then ever.....

 

I grew up in and have always lived in one city or another. The idea of not having everything available around the corner was first introduced to me in grade school. A teacher put forth a hypothetical situation where the world as we knew it had collapsed and we had to collect 10 people to start a new with. We were split into groups and had to come up with our ideal group, and reasons why. This project greatly affected me. I wanted to make sure that I would be a valuable asset to a survivalist group. While living in a city I could not cultivate hunting or gardening skills so I worked on jack-of-all-trades (MacGyver-ism) building and the such...
Although now that I have recently gone through a divorce, I find that I have only myself to depend on. So I am hear to learn as much as I can about how to prepare myself for any disaster (natural or man made).
...Steps I am also taking...
Research : extensive first aid (I really want to learn to suture, because I'd rather avoid cauterization)
: horticulture ... food is good
Practice: Krav Maga (because I lady needs to defend herself) (just started)
: firearms training (haven't started yet, saving up money)

If anyone has suggestions on topics for me to research to help me be able to rely on only yours truly I'd be grateful.

p.s. I have done loads of camping in my day, but just recently have found the joy of extended backpacking trips. (although gear is SO expensive)

 

The SAS survival handbook is very good. It has a pocket sized edition. To get up to speed check topics on shelter building, locating water and purifying, then food procurement and processing. This is a life long process so don't get to overwhelmed. Practice what you have learned into your daily life.

 

When I started to find out about what really goes on in the current world events some years ago, politically, religiously economically (well these three things usually go hand in hand) right? Being made aware and seeing a glimpse of the future ahead made a huge impact on me, and made me want to look for alternative ways to manage my life.

 

I am not really sure how I arrived where I am. I started camping and fishing as a kid, I loved going into the woods. When I began to drive I went to the mountains in Colorado several times by myself. I didn't have a gf that would go and my family would never go. So I went by myself. I carried a back pack in the mountains hiking for weeks at a time. I have camped when it got down to 5 degree F. Not pleasant but a good experience. I had good enough gear I didn't freeze! I hiked across the continental divide. Then later my brother,a friend and I went for a week hike across the Continental divide.

I am for sure a prepper. I store food, formulate ideas about what to do in certain situations. I once believed I was a survivalist. I learned I am at best a light weight. Many things practiced regularly by some here. I would like to gain the knowledge and practice it. But I suspect even in a shtf situation the knowledge would not be needed immediately. I have started first with a flint and steel. I can with a flint, steel and magnesium. I tried several times to start a fire starting with only a knife. Never did succeed. (Light weight!) I am a survivalist but not of the same as many of the old timers here.

As a kid I learned to shoot. I shot my whole life. Shot my first 1911 at 16. Used to practice quick draws with a 36 cal black powder pistol at the creek when I was 12yo. I read every Loius L'Amour book I could get my hands on. Taught myself how to bow hunt and track. Without anyone to teach me. I spent a lot of time learning the hard way. Recurve was difficult at first so I used a compound eventually going to the recurve. Always shot fingers and no sights. Was pretty good with a bow. Not great. I did get rabbits and deer with both the recurve and the compound.

I have made just for fun water filtration systems. Pooring water through and drinking thee water to see how it tasted and if I got sick or not.

Survivalist? I look at the world today. We can have a collapse of the government, war and or nukes, (civil war) a comet crash into the plant, Earth quake, chemical, biological,solar storms of several varieties. These are some of the things I can think of real quick that can happen here where I live. All can vary in severity. If any of these were worst case it will take the hard core survivalists to have the best chance.

So I do believe I am a survivalist? YES but not a go in to the woods and survive type today type. I am not a survivalist because I believe I must be prepared to live in the woods immediately tomorrow. I am because I see so many scenarios that can cause a mass die off. So I try to be more prepared than the average. Give myself and my family a chance.

If any of the situations occurred. Each demands a different response. Survival will not be a one package fits all of them. deal. As a survivalist. I believe I need to recognize and adapt. If I do everything for one scenario and a different scenario occurs. Then I will be ill prepared to survive. So I began thinking and this is what I first had come up with. What responses do they have in common? What preparations can be common? Then their is a 24 hour need for survival. A week a month and several months, surviving the first winter and summer.

I have been in the maintenance field for my entire working career. I fix things. I understand how things work. All kinds of stuff. I am very often the one who is called when they can't get something fixed. I adapt and resolve. Its what I do.

 

My Dad grew up dirt poor during the depression. He believed in being self-sufficient. When I was a kid I learned how to do all sorts of things because he felt that if you knew how to feed yourself from nature you would be able to survive no matter what. This meant that we fished, hunted gardened, raised animals for meat and canned a lot of our own food. We made soap, and I learned how to butcher just about any critter in our part of the US.

I carried this on as a young man and was active in the survivalist movement and was in a "militia" I learned gunsmithing, shooting, and unarmed combat along with a lot of odd skills. As time passed the militias sort of fades away but I just kept going. I like the comfort of knowing that I will never go hungry and never have to be afraid for my loved ones.

I guess now some 50 years later I've gone from self-sufficient to a survivalist to being a prepper. It has, if nothing else been a fascinating and rewarding hobby. I like the woods and the outdoors and always have been someone that wanted to know how things work so have had a great time learning all of the many sorts of hand skills. It has been an insurance policy that has paid off several times. With no power we have a just GREAT TIME. Lost in the woods means nothing to me. I actually try to get lost intentionally. In the 80s times were hard and if nothing else we were never hungry.















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I became a prepper a long time ago based on my life experienced. I got into this survivalist community because I want to share my experience and knowledge while also learning from the experience of others here on survivalist community. Sharing important information is a must to inform and prepare people in case worst scenario happens.

 

Im also new to the prep/survival world. Started about a year ago.

I live in South africa and the thing that shook me up is al this Genocide, farm murders that we've got. Conspiracy theories online about Operation White Cleanup. Uhuru - the black people wants to kill all the white people, but i also have to say that my live was onced saved by a black person. Ive got a few plans in place but i realy want to learn more so that i can provide for my family

 

Always had a mind for being ready. So I started in preparation as a follow on. I went from Bushcraft to minimal gear survival to preparation ...as it made sense to have what I need to live with or without . As a family we have food storage for a month worth of food. Plenty of time to change into a self sustainable lifestyle. I could go on all day about this topic. I won’t