Part One: Why I Started to Prepare
Speaking from the perspective of someone who has spent the last several years researching, reading about and trying to sort through multitudes of information on the subject, I can say that learning the art of preparedness is not a simple task. Given the huge amount of resources, information and even misinformation available on the internet and within the many books written on the subject, determining the right path towards being more prepared can be a difficult one to say the least. Here is my story, and my tips for finding your own path towards becoming safer and more prepared for the many unknowns which can harm us or those we love in this ever-increasingly crazy world.
My journey towards becoming a person who was even interested in becoming more prepared began one chilly fall evening several years ago. I was in my mid-20s and spent most weekends, and even weekdays, focusing on fun, and like most Saturday nights went out and met up with some friends. It was an after-hours party at the local art hot-spot, and they were serving drinks upstairs. The person who accompanied me to the party, my roommate, was on crutches for a broken leg so I was going back and forth for the both of us. On my second or third trip upstairs I noticed two older men looking at me. They gave me just the slightest hint of a strange feeling – but I ignored it.
Several hours and drinks later, the party was over and it was time to move on. We waited until everyone else left so we could use the side exit because it was the handicap exit, but was locked and rarely used. We said goodbye to our friends and they locked the door, closing the place for the night, and then headed around the corner to the alley where my car was parked. I helped my friend into the passenger side of the car and then headed around the back of the car to unlock my own door. Just as I opened it, I felt and heard someone rushing up behind me in the dark. I turned around and it was one of the very same two men I had seen earlier inside. As he rushed towards me I fumbled with my keys in a desperate attempt to open the tiny Swiss-army style knife on my keychain, but all of a sudden from the dumpster behind me two homeless people kicked a trash can and then popped out. The homeless-looking woman stared at the man and began walking towards him, very close to me at this point, and he suddenly stopped dead in his tracks, only a few feet away from me at that point. We stared at each other for a minute and I opened my knife. The homeless couple walked up, and then the man said in a strange manner, “Oh, I thought this was my car.” I turned to the only other car around, which was parked right next to me – a newer white van with few windows. His companion, the other man from inside, was sitting inside the car staring at me.
I jumped into my car (a small sedan) and drove away, paralyzed from the experience and too scared or shocked to try to even get their license plate number. Honestly it took me a little while to even realize the serious danger that I was in, and that if nobody had popped out of that dumpster, well this story may have never been written. Was it divine intervention? Luck? Destiny? I will probably never know. But I do know that this was the day that everything in my life changed; or more significantly – the way that I view the world changed in every way.
I have spent countless hours wondering what they wanted with me, or worse, to do to me. Regardless, the fact of the matter was that I wasn’t prepared, and that I didn’t follow my intuition. Was it divine intervention? Or just coincidence that there happened to be witnesses? I will never know. Following that day, slowly, my wants and needs have shifted towards trying to plan for things before they happen and more importantly – to follow my own intuition no matter what, because it can truly be a very powerful thing. Since then I have shifted my life path completely. Had that not happened to me I might be living in the rat race of Los Angeles by now, but instead I now have acreage in the country and feel safer than I ever have…but of course the move was only one step towards making me feel safer. Since we purchased a house in the country with acreage, my extra spending money is limited now – but I think it was the right decision, and it was something that I (well, we) had wanted for a while. I feel safer away from a large population – and to me, any financial sacrifices that have to be made are well worth it. Will I have several years’ worth of food anytime soon? No. Will I be able to purchase an arsenal or switch over to complete solar energy anytime soon? No. But I am in a much better situation than I ever have been in my life – and that is what makes me feel safer. It is all a give and take – that is life. It is something that must be molded; that is – we all have to work with what we’ve got.
This brings me to my point about being prepared in general. With all of the resources that exist on the subject, it would be easy to simply print out any one of the preparedness lists and check things off as you buy them. But in my opinion – this is not the most pragmatic approach and will not necessarily keep you and your family the safest under any circumstance. If you are like myself and most others I know, who live only within their means and particular resources, then you must take your plan for preparedness one step at a time, while trying to make sure that each step matters. And for me – that meant deciding which steps were most important to me in my life, and why.
The power of human intuition is an incredible thing. I can think of countless times in my life where I thought – if only I would have listened to myself, especially that night after the party. It is my belief that following your own intuition, and combining this with as much safety and preparedness information you can find – is truly the best path to finding safety (if that is even possible) in an unsafe world, and perhaps more importantly – to find your own peace of mind. Not finding yourself in a bad situation to start with is important (like being alone or without protection at night), but also carrying whatever type of personal protection you can afford is important at all times. I now carry pepper spray with me wherever I go, and have one in my car as well (it’s what I can afford – at less than $10 each for police grade spray off amazon.com). Do what you can, and think of everything that can happen – because sometimes it does, and someday it could be you.
Planning to be better prepared must be a personal and individual thing, and as with most things in life, there is no one-size-for-all answer. Think about what concerns you the most and address those issues first. Think about what activities your family does on a daily basis and how you can improve their safety both while you are away and at home. Think about the environment and climate you live in and what natural resources are around. Start writing down a ‘what-if’ list: What if we’re out of town and…? What if there was an earthquake? What if the power fails for a week, a month…or worse? What if our well dries up? What if the grocery stores close? The internet goes down? But of course, these questions could be different for each and every person and family. Everyone’s situation is completely different, and of course, the timing of such a disaster cannot ever be planned for or anticipated. One person might be at home with family and live in a densely populated area while another might be driving a secluded road alone at night…that is why it is important to develop something that helps you feel more at ease and according to your own personal situation. What scares you the most? Why? Is it well-founded? Do some research if you need…this is what it took for me to feel safer again.
So, all that being said…Here is my own personal plan for preparedness, in my step-by-step manner:
Part Two: My Plan of Action for Becoming More Prepared On A Limited Budget
Step 1: Begin by writing down a list of your own what ifs. Think about where you live and the potential dangers that you, in particular face. Do some research - now is the time. Once you start learning about how to prepare, and why, the rest will come into place. Don’t wait until it’s too late. Follow your common sense and your intuitive side – even when writing your list. And always include safety in everything you plan.
Step 2: Then write another list – a list of goals and items that you will need in an emergency situation. Make a list for your home. When you’re away from home. For your car. Make a huge list which contains anything and everything you can imagine. Cover all your bases. Consider your environment. Then make a much shorter list, comb through your first list and begin with your simplified list – of just the essentials (adjusted for what you already have). To me, this means things like extra basic household essentials: led flashlights and lanterns, matches, baking soda (can be used for all sorts of things – toothpaste, bee stings, laundry etc.), bleach (water and general disinfection), aluminum foil (you can use to make a make-shift solar cooker as well as plenty of other things), duct tape, toilet paper, paper plates, batteries and paper towels etc. This also means dried or canned (or powdered, dehydrated or otherwise preserved) food basics: rice, beans, baking supplies (flour, baking powder, cornmeal, yeast etc.), TVP and the like.
Step 3: Start by picking out the items which you personally consider to be the most essential – and purchase them one by one. For me, I started by working out a plan with myself considering the very small amount of money I can commit each week. Food and water seemed like the most essential items for myself, so now, I buy 5 gallons of water per week for my storage closet plus 5 pounds of assorted varieties of lentils, peas and beans, as well as 5 pounds of rice or another starch (barley, brown rice, couscous, quinoa, pasta etc.). Then each week I also try to determine another item or even a few, depending on my budget that will enhance my own collection the most. Last week it was the buy one get one free deal on olive oil along with extra household supplies (aluminum foil, trash bags etc.). This week I will buy cans of soup, first aid supplies and a few books (on country living skills and solar cooking etc.) off Amazon.com. Next week I will do the same as well as a few 5 gallon water jugs ($7 each at Wal-Mart) and stock up on batteries. And so on.
The point is – follow your common sense and work on essential items first, and at least you can say that you are making your greatest effort with the resources that you have available. There is no master list – do what feels right for you. After you begin building up your water and food staples (dried, bulk and canned goods) then you can begin to narrow down the next important things as you can afford them. There are solutions to the basics for all economic levels. Food and water can be acquired as you can afford them. Just buy a little of each category at a time – that way you aren’t caught without one particular thing and water is extra important. Save milk or juice jugs, clean them and fill them for additional water. They are not necessarily the best first choice for drinking – but you can also use them as a makeshift solar shower if you spray-paint them black (or lay under a black tarp or cloth) and pre-drill at least one screw-on type lid in advance. I would hate to be caught in an emergency with only a huge bucket of pinto beans and nothing else. And pre-packed (MRE type) meals are great – they just don’t make economic sense to me at this point (maybe down the road). There are more important things. I don’t buy stuff I like anymore, I buy stuff because I like it and I think it might be useful or benefit me in some way someday-and especially in an emergency.
Step 4: Now that you have a basic plan of action and are beginning to follow it, now you simply have to continue to follow it and add in additional items as the opportunity allows. The first items I purchased along these lines were a wind up/solar am/fm/weather radio as well as batteries and flashlights. You can expand as you go, just make sure to focus on the basics first. Don’t follow the hype – follow your heart when it comes to getting yourself prepared for all situations. Follow your own plan, and expand as you research, save money, and continue to prepare. Solar items are particularly helpful as they provide a longer duration of self-sustaining energy, but stocking up on regular batteries first might make more sense for most people…just do your research and determine the most important things first. Everyday items can be lifesavers, and so can very inexpensive things, if you just plan ahead a little. Take advantage of the bulk section at your local grocery store. Think of all the things you do and/or enjoy in your everyday life, food, water, showers, clean clothing, using a bathroom, entertainment of some sort and so on. Then try to make sure you’ve got as many of these bases covered as possible in case of emergency. Be creative. And of course, always be safe when you are away from home as well. Protect yourself and be aware – follow your intuition in everything that you do and you will be better off.
On my long term list I have hundreds of items, most importantly additional weapons and power sources. And perhaps most importantly a manual hand-pump type connection for our well. I would also like to have backup solar power installed (for the well especially) if money allows. Ideally a bomb shelter on the property would make me sleep the best at night, but that may only come if disaster takes a long time to get here. However, if I work hard enough at it and nothing happens in the meantime – that day will come, and the same goes for you too. That is why taking one step at a time is important, since thinking of anything and everything that could happen can get a little overwhelming to say the least. Make a list and then make it a reality.
I believe that common sense and a belief in one’s own abilities and intuitions can be a life-saving thing, something that is invaluable to each and every one of us. Developing a personal plan and simply setting aside (if only a very little) time from each day before something terrible happens to begin learning and preparing could be the very thing that saves your life someday. I got a second chance – but I don’t know if I’ll get a third. That is why I prepare the best I can and learn as much as I can. And now – I do feel safer than I did before.
Emergency kits and meal kits are great (if you have the money that is) – but they aren’t everything. Follow your intuition and develop a plan of attack first – and most importantly cover the basics (for your own personal situation, and what you can afford) first. If you do enough research, you can find ways around the obstacles you face. If money is the issue, find less expensive ways to accomplish the same thing. If location is the issue, then do your best to change it. If you keep at something long and hard enough, so much can be accomplished. And always remember, all that we can ever do is our best. As far as I am concerned, this is the path towards freedom from fear as well as getting prepared. Be safe in everything you do, and good luck with your own plan and path towards protection and preparedness. I hope that if nothing else, my own personal story helps those who haven’t experienced something like I have, to follow their feelings and intuition their best, and also to do their best to stay safe in an unsafe world. Good luck out there!
A Frightening Experience Leads to a Plan, by V.A.S.
In 1929, the Soviet Union established gun control. From 1929 to 1953, about 20 million dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
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In 1911, Turkey established gun control. From 1915 to 1917, 1.5 million Armenians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
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Germany established gun control in 1938 and from 1939 to 1945, a total of 13 million Jews and others who were unable to defend themselves were rounded up and exterminated.
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China established gun control in 1935. From 1948 to 1952, 20 million political dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated
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Guatemala established gun control in 1964. From 1964 to 1981, 100,000 Mayan Indians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
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Uganda established gun control in 1970. From 1971 to 1979, 300,000 Christians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
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Cambodia established gun control in 1956. From 1975 to 1977, one million educated people, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
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Defenseless people rounded up and exterminated in the 20th Century because of gun control: 56 million.
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It has now been 12 months since gun owners in Australia were forced by new law to surrender 640,381 personal firearms to be destroyed by their own Government, a program costing Australia taxpayers more than $500 million dollars.. The first year results are now in: List of 7 items:
Australia-wide, homicides are up 3.2 percent.
Australia-wide, assaults are up 8.6 percent.
Australia-wide, armed robberies are up 44 percent (yes, 44 percent)!
In the state of Victoria alone, homicides with firearms are now up 300 percent. Note that while the law-abiding citizens turned them in, the criminals did not, and criminals still possess their guns!
While figures over the previous 25 years showed a steady decrease in armed robbery with firearms, this has changed drastically upward in the past 12 months, since criminals now are guaranteed that their prey is unarmed.
There has also been a dramatic increase in break-ins and assaults of the ELDERLY. Australian politicians are at a loss to explain how public safety has decreased, after such monumental effort, and expense was expended in successfully ridding Australian society of guns. The Australian experience and the other historical facts above prove it.
You won’t see this data on the US evening news, or hear politicians disseminating this information.
Guns in the hands of honest citizens save lives and property and, yes, gun-control laws adversely affect only the law-abiding citizens..
Take note my fellow Americans, before it’s too late!
The next time someone talks in favor of gun control, please remind them of this history lesson.
With guns, we are ‘citizens’. Without them, we are ‘subjects’.
During WWII the Japanese decided not to invade America because they knew most Americans were ARMED!
If you value your freedom, please spread this anti-gun control message to all of your friends.