The First/Most Important Step?

[echo5whiskey]

MINDSET. Seems you have it now, so that's a HUGE step right there.
Koshinn hit the nail on the head. Be ready for local stuff first...then prep for a bigger, national type event. Food, the knowledge/ability to make clean water, protection, meds....long list of stuff. For ME..Im paranoid about lack of drinking water. Cant store enough of it, so one must have the tools and knowledge on how & where to get or make it. PLENTY of good tech out there for it, like LIFESTRAW, for example.

Water is one of the first things to sell out over here. Heck, the temperature was about 8 degrees higher than average last week, and A/Cs sold out!

[echo5whiskey]

I like this one! MINDSET!!

Once you have made that decision to prepare it is really pretty easy from there on if you eat the apple one bite at a time.

Local disasters first is good advice. I have lived in florida most of my life. Hurricane preparedness is just a way of life. Get your supplies well in advance. You should see the shelves at Walmart and Lowes a few hours after a hurricane warning. My advice on hurricanes is to leave and not come back till the power and water are restored and the mess is cleaned up. Not always possible though.

Shelter, water and food in that order is the rule. Where ever you live is going to dictate how you handle each. I say everyone should have at least 6 months non frozen/ refrigerated food supply. I like the canned Mountain House because of the 25 yr shelf life. Then canned goods used on a rotating basis. Beans and Rice for long term storage. Water purification equipment. For those in the desert water storage is essential. I would go with a large cistern.

the shelter one. Everyone needs a bug out spot. When I evacuate for hurricanes I go to the home place in Georgia. Now if the big one ever happens and the trucks quit delivering food to the grocery stores and gas to the gas stations then cities will become places you don't want to be. In fact you wouldn't want to be in the path of the refugees leaving the cities. you need a small piece of land a long way from any concentration of people.

Now here is the rub. You have spent all that time and money stockpiling food and other supplies and like most you stayed to long and now you have to get out of dodge. How much of that stuff can you carry on your back. Remember no gas at the gas station.

What are you going to do now.

All that is a huge reason as to why I'm trying to transfer out of here; the only places that aren't built up, are either private or gov't property.

[echo5whiskey]

These are all EXACTLY the kind of tips I was looking for. I'm a stickler for mindset when it comes to self-defense/home-defense, so it's been a fairly seamless transition into this line of thinking.

I literally put in for a transfer yesterday, so I've been trying not to accumulate too much while I'm here. I don't want to get too much stuff, and then have to deal with shipping it across the ocean.

[Straight Shooter]

These are all EXACTLY the kind of tips I was looking for. I'm a stickler for mindset when it comes to self-defense/home-defense, so it's been a fairly seamless transition into this line of thinking.

I literally put in for a transfer yesterday, so I've been trying not to accumulate too much while I'm here. I don't want to get too much stuff, and then have to deal with shipping it across the ocean.

God Bless you in getting out of there. An island..ANY island..is not where Id want to be in a shtf situation either. ONE more recommendation too, brother..read ONE SECOND AFTER.

[Wake27]

God Bless you in getting out of there. An island..ANY island..is not where Id want to be in a shtf situation either.

Tell me about it...


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[Outlander Systems]

A Plan
PT
Water/Treatment
Food
...
Guns are at the bottom of my list.

The fact that you are seriously considering it is probably the most important step, so Koshinn's advice is solid.

The key to all of it is self-sufficiency; the less you have to rely on other people, the less likely you are to have an extended stay at Camp Superdome, living in squalor and fighting off rats with a stick for a cold, Vegetarian MRE.

Since you are already working on a plan, the next step is executing a transfer to greener pastures.

[Warp]

Water and a gun.

Rule of 3s. Not to be taken literally, necessarily, but it seems to decently show a general priority/timescale

You can make it
3 weeks without food
3 days without water
3 hours without protection from the elements (mostly a cold weather thing I think)
3 minutes without breathable air
3 seconds without ammo


I'm sure we all seriously over prioritize guns, but a firearm...even just a an old Security Six that works and you know how to use with a couple of speed loaders or speed strips, is way up the list for me.

[soulezoo]

One thing not mentioned yet is medical.

First, don't get hurt or sick.

Remember, a simple scratch can kill you. A twisted ankle can really ruin a day. The flu can kill you. Think broken bones and no Dr. to set them. (Thinking more of a bug out situation, but can occur bugging in as well)

So preparedness in this means more than an IFAK.

[THCDDM4]

One thing not mentioned yet is medical.

First, don't get hurt or sick.

Remember, a simple scratch can kill you. A twisted ankle can really ruin a day. The flu can kill you. Think broken bones and no Dr. to set them. (Thinking more of a bug out situation, but can occur bugging in as well)

So preparedness in this means more than an IFAK.

Medical is a big one for sure. Best advice I can give is to source Antibiotics and other such meds you need a prescription for from online vet medicine vendors. It's not as good as human grade pharma, but I would rather have it in a pinch than nothing...

A good med kit, not just a first aid kit is definitely required gear. A copy of the "Physicians Desk Reference" is absolutely a MUST HAVE in my opinion.

[rcoodyar15]

Medical is a big one for sure. Best advice I can give is to source Antibiotics and other such meds you need a prescription for from online vet medicine vendors. It's not as good as human grade pharma, but I would rather have it in a pinch than nothing...

A good med kit, not just a first aid kit is definitely required gear. A copy of the "Physicians Desk Reference" is absolutely a MUST HAVE in my opinion.

Really most of us can easily survive our standard run of the mill disasters. Might be a little uncomfortable for a while but it will be over soon. But if something happens that stops the grocery trucks from stocking the shelves or the gas trucks filling up the gas stations nation wide it will be a mess.

Remember guys it really hasn't been that long since Americans were really self-sufficient. less than 100 years ago we were drinking out of dug wells or even streams and rivers. Nobody had refrigeration. Everyone grew their own food. Doctors were rare and pretty primitive at best. No such thing as antibiotics. Lifespans were shorter and lots of children died but life went on.

Those that think weapons and ammo are the answer need to rethink this thing. Just how many firefights do you believe you will survive without taking a hit. Wounded with no trauma unit on standby. How is that going to work out for you? Best thing to do is avoid any contact with people. That way you won't have to go full metal jacket on them. That weapon would be better used putting food on the table.

I would never plan to bug in in a major city. You need to get out early. Be the first to leave. Better to have a false alarm you can use as practice then stay too long and wake up one morning realizing you made a mistake. I could not imagine hiking out of a major city!