Introduce yourself!

[PJ]

Hello everyone, if you wouldn’t mind introducing yourself while keeping OPSEC in mind that would be great.  As we build this little community it will be nice to get an idea where everyone is coming from.  Here’s a sample format and feel free to modify as necessary:

– Name you’d like us to call you by

– How long you’ve been prepping

– Prepping for? (name 1 or many events which concern you most)

– Worst mistake while prepping

– 3-5 year plan (what are some short term goals which you’d like to achieve)

[The Maj]

– The Maj

– I guess I have been truly prepping for about 15 years.

– Prepping for: hurricanes and societal collapse

– Worst mistake: starting to prep without a plan, which meant I spent money in the wrong places at the wrong time.

– 3 to 5 year plan: continue to move toward a sustainable lifestyle

[Brandon]

Hi, guys.

You can call me Brandon, and I’m in the Houston area. I’ve been prepping for almost five years, though due to money being really tight, I’m not nearly as prepared as I’d like to be. I prep to be ready for pretty much anything, but if pressed to name the thing that concerns me the most, it’s government overstepping it’s bounds to the point that it is no longer legitimate and needs to be dealt with.

My worst mistake prepping is just not being prepared enough, even though I know I should be much more prepared. Again, money is tight, but I’m doing the best I can with what I have.

My three to five year plan is to get out of the Houston area. I’d like to head up to the North East, somewhere, and maybe live outside a small town.

I really enjoy your blog, PJ, and I’m glad you put up some forums.

[PJ]

Maj

I truly think a societal collapse in some form or another is not outside of the realm of possibility. Everything is held together by such fragile “support structures” and it only takes one to fail for the entire house to come crashing down.

Brandon

I’m glad you enjoy the blog and forum, much thanks goes out to all who read and contribute. I commend you on your efforts, even though times can get rough (trust me I KNOW). Keep up the good work!

[ParaB]

Hello all! Good call on the forum PJ. Ive been following the site for quite a while now, although only comment now and then. After leaving the Army, I became a professional firefighter/paramedic. Im also an NRA instructor. I guess I feel there are a few things I feel are plausible in the future that can cause real problems. Inside our own country, it feels like we are only one or two “bad things” away from sending us into social disarray. Between the economic frailty, and the number of people dependent on our over-sized government, its a bad situation. As far as overseas issues, the days of flying planes into buildings are over. The biggest terrorist threats now are cyber. The electrical grid obviously holds literally everything else together. Im sure theres more involved, but the thought of everything going down with the push of a button is pretty scary. Ive only been prepping for about 4 or 5 years now. Original goal was to be able to take care of my family for a month or so. Im working on extending that, Its a slow process. Again, thanks for what you do PJ, and thanks to you all for the various contributions.

[Echo5charlie]

Hello,

I have been going by Echo 5 Charlie, Echo5 or E5 for short.

I am prepping for weather emergencies, energy shortages or societal collapse. I feel the country is heading in the wrong direction and civilization is fragile so I need to do what I can to take care of my people.

I have been prepping my whole life in a sense, much more seriously the last 4 years.

Worst mistake is probably not starting sooner on the more serious preps, when money was flowing and prices were down.

3-5 years I am planning to be my own banker, be independent of the grid at a secondary location and help my network be more independent.

It’s great to read about you guys and I appreciate you. Great idea on the forums!

[PJ]

I totally agree with respect to the cyber threat and it worries me as well. Solar flare or EMP could hit the grid but that’s less likely than a human triggered event IMO. Carnage would be right around the corner once electronic forms of payment were wiped out. As for being independent of the grid, that’s my LONG term goal, wish I had enough scratch to make it happen tomorrow.

[J]

Greetings, all!.

I typically go by J, just to keep it simple.

Have been prepping seriously for the last 10 years or so. I grew up in poor rural country, however, and have been learning the art of “getting by” all my life.

Worst prepping mistake – you can read about it on the site under that category.

My main focus is for natural disasters and a soceital breakdown. I am more for bugging in than bugging out, although in the spirit of common sense, I have an exit strategy, also.

3-5 year plan. Passing on skills to the rest of the family, especially my kid, is the main priority.

Brandon – We have all been through the lean times you mentioned. I would suggest focusing on skill development during those times. It helped me make progress even when I felt I couldnt put back supplies.

[Muleskinner]

PJ this is a grand idea.

I choice the moniker muleskinner for the simple reason I drive truck but also to honor those who brought goods west during the late 1800s by mule train.

How long have I been prepping. Wow, try 35 years. I saw the hand writing on the wall back in the late 70s. Of course, at that time I had no idea of the number of possible events we are faced with today. I did however, fully understand the direction the government was headed and the need to prepare to survive a natural disaster.

My greatest mistake was not buying gold when it was under $100.00 an ounce or silver when it was less then $10.00 an ounce. Looking back, even then that was expensive but in light of today’s economy a real buy. Newly married and starting out in life doesn’t always allow for “expensive” luxuries like gold and silver were considered during that era.

I am not sure if I can define a 3 to 5 year plan. I try to live day to day and not worry about the future. I do think it is prudent to stock up on as much food, and as many durable goods as can be afforded. So, I guess that could be considered my “plan”.

[Brandon]

That’s a great suggestion, J! Thanks!

One skill in particular I’ve been wanting to learn is how to make fire with a bow drill.

[J]

Brandon,

that is a good one to learn, although i dont think there are any “bad” skills, necessarily.

A few others I would recommend,as well. I dont know your strengths but will recommend a few things you can usually find resources for at little or no cost.

– basic land navigation. lots of books and internet resources for this.

_ basic first aid, stopping bleeding, being able to clean and dress a wound, htings of this nature. now and a gain you can find these courses offered free of charge, or for very little charge.

-basic mechanic skills. learning how to do small repairs can go a long way towards saving you money and giving you peace of mind if something bad happens. i love repair manuals and youtube videos for that!

[PJ]

Muleskinner: Much respect for driving truck, my dad does that and I really don’t know how he tolerates being gone OTR M-F every single week (away from my mom). The miles that he logs are ridiculous as you well know, takes a special type of person to sit in that seat for hours on end.

Brandon: I think J is spot on it the recommendation to learn some basic land navigation. There are several articles on this blog but taking a class offered by an outdoorsman would be much better. Even knowing how to orient a ROAD map in order to find your way will put you head and shoulders above most of those who are completely reliant upon GPS.

As for the bow / drill fire method: I’ve done it and even with help under optimal conditions it sucked. I’m glad I did it because it only reinforced the need to carry matches, lighters, flints and other ways to make fire versus rubbing two sticks together.

[Muleskinner]

Brandon

PJ and J are correct basic land navigation skills are a must. I know truckers who can’t find their way across a state without their GPS. It always shows when there is an accident and they are screaming on the CB asking if anyone knows an alternate route. Now, think what kind of mess they will be in if there is a EMP event and they have to walk. It isn’t a pretty thought but it is a very real possibility. A hand held compass, a map and knowing how to use them can be every bit as important as a weapon when faced with finding a way to safety.

Another skill I would urge to you acquire is knot tying. There aren’t that many you will need but one that will serve you well on many, many occasions is the simple trucker’s knot. Learn the basic knots you will surprised how often you will use them.

PJ;

Thankfully those days of 150,000 miles a year are over. I am finally to the age where I can pick and chose those runs I want. Give your Dad my best wishes.

[Brandon]

Thanks for the suggestions, guys, I appreciate it!

It definitely wouldn’t hurt brushing up on land navigation and first aid. I learned how to tie knots as a kid, but I don’t remember any of them. I really do need to learn a few useful knots. I just watched a Youtube video on the trucker’s knot, and that looks like a pretty handy one!

I’ve got three ways to start a fire in my BOB, but I like the idea of being able to start a fire with nothing but things I can find in the wilderness, if I’m ever in a worst case scenario.

[PJ]

Brandon

If there was one knot which I’ve used successfully over and over again it would be the bowline. Once you figure out how to tie it you’ll come up with ways to use it, this I promise you.

[Author]

Posts