Favorite "Form" of Prepping and Why ...

[Tuplumber]

Our family got into prepping a few years ago. We started with a small garden which has grown to include 10 raised garden beds, 2 large compost piles and a chicken coop. We give out the extra food we cant eat to freinds and family. We have tried canning but that's is an area we need to improve upon. I plan on on bunkering down where I am at and surviving with what we have built here at the house. Should the need arise we have bug out bags for everyone in the family (even the dog ). We go camping whenever we have a free weekend and we use that time to practice our survival skills using only what we have in bug out bags.

 

[Belthos]

You have to sleep some time. The advantage the attacker has is choosing when he can attack. Just something yall should think about.

My outdoor dogs do not bark, my indoor dog does.
I've always slept when most of my family is awake and vice versa.

Raiding is an eventual death sentence, You must win every single time to survive.
Sooner or later you will screw up and you will die.

People prosper in communities. Lone wolves prosper in movies.

 

[been]

My outdoor dogs do not bark, my indoor dog does.
I've always slept when most of my family is awake and vice versa.

Raiding is an eventual death sentence, You must win every single time to survive.
Sooner or later you will screw up and you will die.

People prosper alone. Communities prosper in movies.

Yea dogs would be a problem. Corrected it for you too

 

[dennishoddy]

I don't consider myself as a prepper, although I try to be prepared for what ever may lay ahead.

Its actually a lifestyle that started when I was a kid. We didn't have extra money, so we grew gardens, canned veggi's and fruits. I was in scouting from 8 yrs old. Back in those days scouting was all about being prepared and outdoor activities like shooting, hunting, trapping, fishing, were what we did. Campouts every month consisted of taking minimal food, and doing what we could to add to the cooking pot. Our campouts were on private ground, and would be considered primitive camping. We built fire without matches, used natures own resourses to build traps, and deadfalls to take small game. Tried making fishing hooks with the wing bones of birds, but never could get that one right. lol.
We learned to knapp flint to make tools, and arrowheads. Later on took survival training in the military. When my kids were young, we tent camped as much as possible, and I passed what I knew to them, all the while still growing a garden, canning etc.
Its carried on to this day. Our main diet is wild game or fish, and for the most part home canned veggi's, although I will say the last two years of drought has put the hurt on our stock of home canned food. We haven't bought one pound of store bought hamburger in 25 years. Venison burger is way better, and more healthy.
Taking one of my last jars of pickled bell pepper strips to work tomorrow. We do buy a nice steak on occasion, and things like onions and spuds are bought from the store. We travel too much to keep livestock.
We have a water well, and generator backup.

I'm not that much into considering a massive government melt down, per say, but thats always lurking in the back of my mind. We are more concerned with mother nature and what she can deal out. During the ice storm we were without electricity and running water for 11 days, and we got along just fine. Actually had one family that lived in the city come to stay with us. They had no plan, and no clue how to get through a natural disaster. Their kids kind of hated it, not having their gadgets to play with, and having to get out in subfreezing weather to gather firewood for the fireplace, and actually having to help me with chores. Nobody ever told them to get off their ass and get to work. Everybody has to contribute when the SHTF.
Kind of long winded, but the thing that concerns me the most is if the SHTF comes about, is the folks that didn't prepare, and will be looking to take advantage of those that have.
There has been some preperation with that in mind as well.

 

[Belthos]

No worries Been I don't take it personally, even if you do wind up going lone wolf we're about 100 miles away from each other.

Denis I agree the danger is people that do not prepare, I'm not terribly concerned about rampant individuals, I won't be alone much.
The true danger will lie in one trait that humans share with dogs.
We are most dangerous when we hunt in packs, and there will be armed gangs and mobs if there really is a total breakdown of law and order.

I expect my extended family can handle one's and two's without being in mortal danger, but I wouldn't care for the odds of facing fifty or sixty armed gang members running low on meth and looking for whatever they can get.

 

[jrguns]

Hey, BB

Yeah, a weekend warrior, 7 days a week. OK, serious now, and I am serious. I keep buckets full of Miracle Grow potting soil beside the patio, they are marked; apricot, cherry, peach, plum, pear. Any time I am eating fruit, I throw the seeds in the pot. The pears are from my sisters tree. I was peeling pears to can and started throwing the seeds in, planted 15 trees about 3 ft tall in the back pasture, was doing good until son left the gate open and the cows ate them. The plums came from my Uncle, they are a small, native, wild plum. Great for jelly. The apricots came from a friend at church, I had 3 trees producing but lost 1 last year due to drought, canned 120 lbs. The peaches, I have 2 freestone, 2 Georgia Giant, and a white. Only 2 trees big enough to produce, canned 86 lbs last year. Cherry, I have 1 BING and 1 Monticello, cherries have to have different varieties near each other to germinate. First time to produce last year, had 12 lbs. I did set up a soaker hose around the trees, still lost 1 apricot, 3 peach and 2 cherry. But I really don't do ALOT or anything special. I have about 200 apricot seeds I am getting potted and hope to have some small trees next spring. I also have a large pecan tree that drops pecans in my garden, I let them get about 2 ft tall and sell / give them away or transplant around my pond.
OK, a little long winded. To answer your question as to what 'kind' to plant. Plant what you like. I put up to 25 seeds in a 5 gal bucket. Just see what comes up. Once they sprout, thin to 8-10 per bucket. Just move any excess, if any, to another bucket. After 2nd year, 1 1/2 yrs old, in Nov/Dec, plant where you want.

Just some info. Trees grown from fruit seeds is not going to produce what you desire. First most fruit trees are grafted varieties that are grafted to a native rootstock to be heathy and withstand the climate and soil conditions. The top is the disired variety of choice. The top is also a hybrid of many varieties and may or may not become what you want through the seed or pit. You would be much better off to buy the plants you want and start with a 2-3 year old tree. It wiill fruit sooner and be true to the variety you hope it is. Kind of like a native pecan and a paper shell pecan. The paper shell pecan seed will not neccessarely grow a papershell.

 

[dennishoddy]

Just some info. Trees grown from fruit seeds is not going to produce what you desire. First most fruit trees are grafted varieties that are grafted to a native rootstock to be heathy and withstand the climate and soil conditions. The top is the disired variety of choice. The top is also a hybrid of many varieties and may or may not become what you want through the seed or pit. You would be much better off to buy the plants you want and start with a 2-3 year old tree. It wiill fruit sooner and be true to the variety you hope it is. Kind of like a native pecan and a paper shell pecan. The paper shell pecan seed will not neccessarely grow a papershell.

True. OSU offers a course in grafting. I have a friend that took the class, and has several different varieties of pecan growing from the same parent tree.

 

[mightymouse]

we're going to load up what's left of our supplies, head to Kemah, "acquire" a cruising sailboat and flee.

I'm going with the boat idea, too. Here's a photo of the old tub the last time I took her out to blow the carbon out of the pipes:
[Broken External Image]

 

[Lurker66]

For me prepping is kinda a semi serious hobby. I got enough basic stuff to bug in for a while and have enough sense to leave if it comes to that.

Life experiences have given me the knowledge and know how to sustain me n a few family short term. If its long term, as in our country no longer exists, ive got a flexible plan for that.

Grew up in the country, spent time in Army(11B), spent time in Navy, got lotsa med training, married an nurse. Worked as a mechanic, welding, fab, some electrical. Raised gots, rabbits, chickens, quail. Put in several gardens. Can build a fire in a minute or two. Can find water pretty easy.

Can skin a buck or run a trot line and i can cook. I can make the best out of a bad situation.

Right now im preppin for tornado season and short term power loss. I woulda put in a garden but bad health slowed me down.

So to answer the question, im just happy to be alive and plan on doin what it takes to stay that a way.

 

[BadgeBunny]

For me prepping is kinda a semi serious hobby. I got enough basic stuff to bug in for a while and have enough sense to leave if it comes to that.

Life experiences have given me the knowledge and know how to sustain me n a few family short term. If its long term, as in our country no longer exists, ive got a flexible plan for that.

Grew up in the country, spent time in Army(11B), spent time in Navy, got lotsa med training, married an nurse. Worked as a mechanic, welding, fab, some electrical. Raised gots, rabbits, chickens, quail. Put in several gardens. Can build a fire in a minute or two. Can find water pretty easy.

Can skin a buck or run a trot line and i can cook. I can make the best out of a bad situation.

Right now im preppin for tornado season and short term power loss. I woulda put in a garden but bad health slowed me down.

So to answer the question, im just happy to be alive and plan on doin what it takes to stay that a way.

In the end, I believe, that your last statement (and the attitude it takes to be able to say truthfully say that) is the most important "thing" anyone can have. Attitude is 9/10ths of the battle, IMHO ...

Oh, and thanks for the info on fruit trees guys ... I think I'm fixing to place an order with WildRidge for my fig trees ... I may just do them for now and put in some apple trees in the fall ... If I'm not careful I'll get way too many plants and then not have the time to nurse them through the hot months. I don't wanna make that mistake ... again ... I'm trying to be a bit more careful this year ...