In reality the 200 acre forest will be over ran within days by “instant survivalist” of the Golden Horde all setting up camp in that forest and all thinking that they are going to live off the land …. While perhaps no one visits your 200 acre “retreat” during the good times – i can guarantee that 1000′s of folks have the same idea that you do and when you finally get to your cache – you may find that someone is already setting up camp at that location – or has stumbled across it already. 

If you can’t put a fence around it – or call it yours and protect it with armed resources — then your just hoping that someone else doesn’t find it first.  

Most people see collapse as a switch: it’s either “business as usual,” or “Mad Max.” However, Orlov describes five levels of collapse. It is only Level 5 that people on this blog are preparing for! It could take quite some time to reach that level, and one should be preparing for intermediate levels of collapse.

For example, 45% of food in Russia comes from 7% of agricultural land, from “dacha gardens” that individuals grow. Russia could not feed itself without that! And yet, I see an emphasis on stockpiling, rather than producing. If you are stockpiling, you are part of the problem, not part of the solution!

Number one: start producing your own food and energy. It is not simple to do; you need to learn it. In all but an Orlov-Level-5 collapse, you’ll probably not be interfered with in food production, particularly if you have an excess to barter with neighbours. Because it is not simple to do, “roaming hoards” are an over-rated fear.

But I only recently discovered a few new things to add to our list: prescription drugs (we’d never been on them for previous storm preps), pet formula (yes! I had some field cats give birth, tried buying formula just in case, but was told that local pet caring centers – can’t remember what they’re called – clear them out every storm!).

We learned the hard way how long pharmacy lines are when a known-disaster is headed our way. But I was relieved we even got DH’s BP meds before Ike, since he only had a week’s worth left. We tried doing the 3 months prescription thing, but now he’s on a med for something else, and stupid insurance wouldn’t allow 3 months prescriptions. We have a different insurance now, thanks to you for making me think of this, I’m contacting them soon to see what can be done.

Oh, and how many know how to make coffee without power or gas? Maybe it’s just my neck of the woods, but when we were raking the street drains, we met our newest neighbors, asked them if they wanted coffee, and all theirs and our other neighbors heads all turned at once when they heard me ask. I ended up making 3 pots in a row to get everyone served LOL (we bought a bigger camp coffee pot later on haha). The other neighbors SIL mowed our grass to chop up small debris, without us even asking, awwww coffee makes friends ^_^

Building your preparedness supply every month is a fantastic point that the readers should know about.  If a person is able to continuously prepare, then their supply will not only increase, but having these supplies creates a sense of security.  Personally speaking, you can never have too many preparedness supplies.  Everyone can always use another survival item. 

In the grand scheme of things, preparedness is a state of mind.  Through prepping, we become more self reliant on ourselves and not on others. 

Gavin, thanks for sharing how you are preparing.  It will give readers a good idea of what to have for a long term disaster.

Regards,
Tess
Ready Nutrition