PREPAREDNESS-Where do you draw the line?

[BENESSE]

This is something I think about a lot.
I know I can do more and I can do better, and I'm sure most people feel the same way. For no matter where you are, preparedness is an evolution.
So my question is...
If J.W. Rawls is the gold standard (at least in my sphere of awareness), where are you?
How far are you willing to go without becoming extereme? Extereme in the eyes of family and friends.
Extreme in the way you alter your life on the off chance that TEOTWAWKI will come to pass in your lifetime.
Extreme in altering your life now in exchange for the one later...after you've supposedly survived TEOTWAWKI.

Would that life be better/more satisfying than the one you have now? Is that why the sacrifice now is worth it?

Now note: I didn't say SHTF...I said TEOTWAWKI. There's a big difference, at least in the way history has played it out.
Probable vs. remote, the way I see it.
What are your "thinking out loud" feelings about it...if you don't mind sharing?

[welderguy]

My view is there is no line to draw, I honestly believe a person can never be too prepared. As for looking extreme in the eyes of my family and friends They have thought that for years, but I'm the first one they run too when they need something , During severe storms and tornado watches there at my house.
I honestly think with what I have on hand for just me and my son I am good for 9 to 12 months for food, I need to improve in some areas and expand overall to 18 to 24 months for food and water storage.

[BENESSE]

Again, if J.W. Rawls is on one end (fully prepared for TEOTWAWKI) is that something you'd aspire to?
Would that be a reasonable gamble for you?

[Camp10]

I think in a TEOTWAWKI we will all just be winging it anyways. It that point, knowledge will be more useful then stuff. I will continue to read, learn and practice what I can. I am prepared for the likely SHTF situations as I see them. I do have quite a bit of food and tools and other items to help get me through for quite a while but part of my plan also is to fly below the radar.

I can bug in or out, I'm prepared to do either (or both) but I can only carry so much stuff and my garage is already full..

Good thread Benesse.

[hunter63]

I think in a TEOTWAWKI we will all just be winging it anyways. It that point, knowledge will be more useful then stuff. I will continue to read, learn and practice what I can. I am prepared for the likely SHTF situations as I see them. I do have quite a bit of food and tools and other items to help get me through for quite a while but part of my plan also is to fly below the radar.

I can bug in or out, I'm prepared to do either (or both) but I can only carry so much stuff and my garage is already full..

Good thread Benesse.

I agree that this is a good thread, "B", and I also agree that we probably will never be "completely prepared" for any possible scenario.

I believe in actively preparing for what we can, when we can, but I won't be making it the driving force in my life.

At some point you just have to trust in your self, and in God, and keep on keeping on.

How many people out there would be disappointed when nothing big happens, or happens so slowly you don't really notice how bad it's really getting.
Kinda like now??????//

[welderguy]

Again, if J.W. Rawls is on one end (fully prepared for TEOTWAWKI) is that something you'd aspire to?
Would that be a reasonable gamble for you?

Absolutely. My goal is to be prepared for TEOTWAWKI, I am always learning, practicing, prepping, or making.

Ive made a lot of changes to accommodate being able to buy things I may need later on ( if that happens in my life time) , and if it doesn't then the knowledge and non perishable preps will be my sons.

[rwc1969]

I think that unless you are preparing to be self reliant then it's a waste of time and resources.

[Sourdough]

Lady B, If I had lots of money, I would leave J W Rawles in the dust, I would have Massive Bunkers, 50 years of food. There would be no line. I would have huge ranches, (and a Woman) Fruit trees, stocked fish ponds, a private security company (Read small army). To me it is just a big hoot to do this stuff.

And I think there are many, many who have eclipsed Rawles. Rumor is Tom Cruse just built a 100 Million Dollar survival bunker. On one of the forums there is a guy with 60,000 acre ranch in northern California.

My neighbor across the street has an estimated 30 Million Dollars in his bug'out cabin, He went to the government and said, I want that Mountain, the whole Mountain, and they sold it to him. He is a Gazillion'air.

[BENESSE]

Lady B, If I had lots of money, I would leave J W Rawles in the dust, I would have Massive Bunkers, 50 years of food. There would be no line. I would have huge ranches, (and a Woman) Fruit trees, stocked fish ponds, a private security company (Read small army). To me it is just a big hoot to do this stuff.

And I think there are many, many who have eclipsed Rawles. Rumor is Tom Cruse just built a 100 Million Dollar survival bunker. On one of the forums there is a guy with 60,000 acre ranch in northern California.

My neighbor across the street has an estimated 30 Million Dollars in his bug'out cabin, He went to the government and said, I want that Mountain, the whole Mountain, and they sold it to him. He is a Gazillion'air.

The question still stands SD...what is reasonable prep in your mind?
Are you compromising the present (whatever that is for you) for something post TEOTWAWKI survival? What guarantee do you have that it would be better? That you'de be more fulfilled?
Say you have all the money in the world.
Say you could outprep JW Rawls under the table. To what end? Just to survive?
Well you're alive now. Are you actually living?
Do you need to survive TEOTWAWKI to appreciate life more?

I ask myself this frequently. And I'm just not sure.

[Sourdough]

The question still stands SD...what is reasonable prep in your mind?
Are you compromising the present (whatever that is for you) for something post TEOTWAWKI survival? What guarantee do you have that it would be better? That you'de be more fulfilled?
Say you have all the money in the world.
Say you could outprep JW Rawls under the table. To what end? Just to survive?
Well you're alive now. Are you actually living?
Do you need to survive TEOTWAWKI to appreciate life more?

I ask myself this frequently. And I'm just not sure.

No.......I just love this lifestyle, I love homesteading. It is the creating, the building, the planning, I love what I do every day. I have traveled, and now there is no-where I want to go. I am like "Siddhartha" at the end of his "Quest". It is just something to do, till the end gets here......... It is something to do that I enjoy doing. It is a life worth living.

[BENESSE]

Well then, that's a good place to be.

[nell67]

BEE, I say never stop trying to accomplish more preps,you can never have too many if TEOTWAWKI happens.

And in the event that IT does happen,but you do not survive the initial scenario,then your preps may be a life saving find for someone else,maybe a family member of yours,or even a stranger,which makes all your preps not in vain,but a worth while endeavor.

[Sourdough]

Well then, that's a good place to be.

Lady B, Have you ever read "Siddhartha".......? It is on-line Free. (Good read)

[crashdive123]

My preparations do not disrupt my (our) lives, but rather are just part of it. Mrs. Crash and I are of the same (nearly) mindset. I don't consider that we have sacrificed in order to prepare the way we have, but rather have grown accustomed to a particular lifestyle that we really enjoy. The security in knowing that we have prepared is very calming. That in and of itself will go a long way in taking care of ourselves. Hopefully that will allow us to continue to make good decisions rather than a knee jerk one that may not turn out to be so wise. We may not have some of the resources to do some of the things that we'd like to do, but we've done pretty good with the resources that we have. If nothing happens (not all that likely) the things that we have done will not go to waste.

[BENESSE]

Lady B, Have you ever read "Siddhartha".......? It is on-line Free. (Good read)

It used to be my "Bible" when I was in school--still have the book on the shelf somewhere.
Might be time to revisit it.

[Rick]

I don't believe in TEOTWAWKI. If that happens we're all dead anyway. I've never understood why folks believe that if there is an end of the world event they would be lucky enough (?) to survive while everyone else dies. Hello? It's the end of the world. We all die.

I do prepare for SHTF but not the end of the world. If I die, who cares? I have other places to be if that happens anyway.

[Sourdough]

It used to be my "Bible" when I was in school--still have the book on the shelf somewhere.
Might be time to revisit it.

Still my "Bible", I aspire to read it once a year.

[Sourdough]

I don't believe in TEOTWAWKI. If that happens we're all dead anyway. I've never understood why folks believe that if there is an end of the world event they would be lucky enough (?) to survive while everyone else dies. Hello? It's the end of the world. We all die.

I do prepare for SHTF but not the end of the world. If I die, who cares? I have other places to be if that happens anyway.

Sorry, but I disagree. If I got Blinded, paralyzed, legs amputated, or dozens of other events would "For Me" be TEOTWAIKI. The Professional Football player who gets paralyzed it is the end of his world as he knew it.
Be told you have cancer, and it is TEOTWAYKI.

[Rick]

Semantics. A personally impacting event isn't generally considered to be the definition. TEOTWAWKI (Not you know it or I know it but we know it) is a collective event. While I agree that your scenarios are certainly life altering I don't think you'd "leave J W Rawles in the dust, I would have Massive Bunkers, 50 years of food. There would be no line. I would have huge ranches, (and a Woman) Fruit trees, stocked fish ponds, a private security company (Read small army)" for any of the situations you listed in the above post. Those are preps for asteroid, world economic collapse, pandemic, someone stole my attack geese type events. I don't bother planning for those. Who can live beyond the attack geese being stolen?

[SARKY]

Miss B,
Rawles lives his lifestyle, so the question is then do you want to prepare or live the lifestyle? Can you make a living, living the lifestyle or do you need to make a living in order to prepare? For many, the survival retreat started out as a vacation home. Just some things to think about.