Cost of Preparedness?

[MikeBjerum]

I am starting this thread before I am ready to respond.  I am also starting this in the Cafe to give us a little wiggle room for discussion and repetition ... Ok Rob?  Nothing personal, and I appreciate what you do on the others, but I want a little room for this one.

For those that have been into preparedness for years, months, new to it, or looking into it:

What does it cost up front to get into it?

How much do you invest in a month's food and other supplies?
How much do you invest in water storage and purification items?
How much do you invest in first aid supplies?
How much do you invest in "bug out" items that would be emergency survival gear for the quick run or if you get stranded (shelter, first aid, day or two of high energy, rope, compass, cooking equip., etc.)?
What training or study do you do to prepare (first aid, survival, etc.), and how much do you spend?

For those that are well into this or ready to share, photos would be welcome as well!

I have never done this in an organized manor, and I have been working on it over the last month.  I am keeping a journal of my written plans, rationalization, costs, inventories, and how it is going.  First two realizations - 1.  It does not cost as much as I thought (virtually nothing when you realize this is mostly stock up items that will be used and replaced weekly), and how much room it takes.  

At this point I will not share my own experiences, but would love to hear yours.  I think we can all learn from each other.  I hope to filter through the postings to draw a picture of "the average," put pricing, time and space investment, and rationale to it all.

This is a selfish request and thread for my own improvement, but I hope it helps us all as much as I hope it helps me.

[2HOW]

You  should know we or I will not put this on the web.

[TAB]

The food I would guess a few hundred.

medical is well into the hundreds, but then again we most likly have stuff that the average person would not.

water storeage is many thousands.( what can I say I keep fish)

no bug out kit, but we do have a 72 hour kit and tent right out side the garage door.  It wasn not that much, maybe 200 total for the kit and the tent.

Training, I have my CPR card, defib cert, egale scout, long time hunter, backpacker and  etc...couple hundred every few years.  Medical school for my wife, ~600k  plus what ever on the job training, its got to be pretty close to 1 mil.

[Pathfinder]

I costs nothing at first, maybe a little time. Then you can prep parts of your needs very frugally and economically.

First step - the free one - is to assess your risks. List them all, remembering that risk is a 2-part assessment: likelihood and impact. In other words, how likely is something to happen, and then how bad will it be it it does. A meteor striking the Earth ala the dinosaur extinction is pretty damn bad, but not that likely. Floods, hurricanes/tornadoes, winter storms, disease epidemic, train derailments, etc. all need to be considered based on where you live.

Example: I live 1/4 miles from a train track - one of BNSF's mainline double-tracks in fact. So a train derailment is more likely than if you lived 40 miles from the nearest track. However, it is a straight line track through here, so a derailment is reduced in likelihood slightly. In any event, a derailment is a guaranteed bug-out, so you need to prep for that risk.

A winter storm up north here is very likely, as is the loss of power. Our town just had all of the lines put below ground, however the feeder lines are still above ground. So having a heat source, food and water inside is another way to prep.

For prepping food or other provisions, here is a simple and inexpensive way to do it. When you buy something on sale or with a coupon (or best yet, on sale AND with a coupon), buy extra. For example, your meal plan calls for consumption of 2 cans of green beans this week. So you buy 3, or 4 even, and put the extras on the shelf - after writing the month/year purchased on it. Or when they hit 40 cents a can on a "truckload special" - buy a case if you can. In this way, very quickly, you will have a healthy larder built up of foods you normally eat. Turkeys were 55 cents a pound, so I bought 2 this year - one will be cooked and canned for future consumption.

The adage is to prep what you eat and eat what you prep. Do not store 20# of sauerkraut because it was on special if you don't eat sauerkraut.And eat through your preps always replenishing them - plus a little extra as above. Keeps them fresher.

Another adage is "Beans, Bullets and Band-Aids" - the major priorities - except for water.

Check out Jim Rawles' "Rawles gets you ready" course (http://www.readyfortheworst.com/) for details on what he recommends.

Or call me next time you're headed for Fargo/Moorhead, and we'll dine and talk in detail. I will tell you one detail - I picked up the cubical-shaped 7-gallon water containers from Mills when they were on sale for $8-9 instead of the $13 or so normally. Heavier than sin when full, but 7 gallons of treated water right there, waiting.

BTW - I prepped even when I was laid off and on unemployment. If you budget right, you can do it on minimal income.

[twyacht]

I don't think this is "classified". But I can provide a general and personal amount of info. off the top of my head.

How much do you invest in a month's food and other supplies?
How much do you invest in water storage and purification items?
How much do you invest in first aid supplies?
How much do you invest in "bug out" items that would be emergency survival gear for the quick run or if you get stranded (shelter, first aid, day or two of high energy, rope, compass, cooking equip., etc.)?
What training or study do you do to prepare (first aid, survival, etc.), and how much do you spend?

***

I look at two critical phases of preparedness. (South Florida, Cat 5. storms, tsunami off the Canary Islands, EMP, terrorist attack, civil unrest, etc,....)

My kits cover both, but have two plans incorporated.
1) Am I Staying In My Home?
2) Do I Have To Bug Out Pronto?

How much do you invest in a month's food and other supplies?
Simple grocery shopping. Buy one get one, sale items, clearance, discounted items.. Canned Goods, Dry Goods, are #1 for that. Roughly, buying 2 or 4 instead of 1. Easily loaded, or stored. It's just me and my wife, so,....not much money over time, gives me plenty.

How much do you invest in water storage and purification items?
Always have gallon jugs of water, we don't drink tap. Roughly 25 gallons in the pantry, .99 cents a piece, rotated and replenished.
I have Cheaper Than Dirt, purification tablets, filters, solar water heaters (hanging camping type), ball park $25-30 bucks. I have an in ground pool, 18,500 gallons. Salt/Chlorine Generator, it can be boiled, also keeps the commodes working.

How much do you invest in first aid supplies?
Work van furnished with a standard kit, My own mobile med kit from Sportsman Guide, is pretty good. $65.00
Plus my wife is nurse, and keeps a supply of Aspirin, Tylenol, and "stronger stuff" if needed.

How much do you invest in "bug out" items that would be emergency survival gear for the quick run or if you get stranded (shelter, first aid, day or two of high energy, rope, compass, cooking equip., etc.)?
If I go, and I can use my truck, it can be loaded for "bear", in less than 30 minutes. Pets and all, and I'll be good for a month.
It will suck, but the second part of the question is: "What if vehicles are useless?" For me, I get to a boat, even a damn sail boat, load up and go. Depends on the particulars...

What training or study do you do to prepare (first aid, survival, etc.), and how much do you spend?
Foxfire, backwoodshome.com, my own camping, hiking, trail, canoeing treks, etc,...and yes, being a former Boy Scout, plus reading surplus military literature, and others. Hard to put a $$$ amount on, but I've always been a bit of a McGyver type...

This m58, was just off the top of my head, I could get model#'s, and receipts, but those that are here at DRTV, have there own needs, geography, family members, environment, etc,...We should all have a "plan". If I have to hold up in my house for a month with no power, I can make it anytime. I keep propane tanks for my grill, enough food, ammo, etc,...Fuel for my Genset and Inverter power for non-critical loads.

It is important to always be able to boil water. Even for sponge baths, making drinking water, cooking, etc,....

You  should know we or I will not put this on the web.

Why??? You, hopefully and wisely spent some money on extra Pork & Beans (whatever), Dry Goods, got some extra fuel, stockpile ammo, water, and have a plan if something happens. THAT separates 99.99% of us that would have never went to the SuperDome in New Orleans. If my off my head post generates ideas, tips, other points of view, that can ensure the survivability of my family if the SHTF, good. We all benefit.

[Sponsor]

[billt]

If you have one of Crusaders "Thanksgiving Mega Feasts" you'll be good for at least a month!  Bill T.

http://www.downrange.tv/forum/index.php?topic=14707.0

[tombogan03884]

If you have one of Crusaders "Thanksgiving Mega Feasts" you'll be good for at least a month!  Bill T.

http://www.downrange.tv/forum/index.php?topic=14707.0

LOL  

The biggest expenses I had were $100 for a good back pack, and around $50 for a hand forged camp ax with a 2 ft handle, the only other thing I paid over $10 for was a sleeping bag that stays with the bug out pack.
My first aid skills are very basic so all I really needed was bandage material, ( Gauze and tape, plus bandaides for little stuff) antibiotic cream and aspirin, now that I'm on medications I get the 90 day supply from Wal Mart at about $12/ med, but those, like food, are things I will be using any way. I just buy a little extra and rotate the stock.

[billt]

LOL     The biggest expenses I had were around $50 for a hand forged camp ax with a 2 ft handle.

I just picked up a nice M-9 Bayonet from Bud K for $50. Every AR needs a good bayonet.   Bill T.

http://budk.com/Knives/M9-Bayonet-Military-Knife

[tombogan03884]

Not much use for splitting fire wood though 

[Rastus]

.......
How much do you invest in a month's food and other supplies?
How much do you invest in water storage and purification items?
How much do you invest in first aid supplies?
How much do you invest in "bug out" items that would be emergency survival gear for the quick run or if you get stranded (shelter, first aid, day or two of high energy, rope, compass, cooking equip., etc.)?
What training or study do you do to prepare (first aid, survival, etc.), and how much do you spend?
..................

Make each question a poll question.  Give it a number of responses.  For instance, "How much do you invest in a month's food and other supplies?"  Give it answers like ten bucks, twenty bucks, thirty bucks, etc.  You'll be protecting the "innocent" and get a better profile if you give it a some thoughtful structured answers.....