Poke around here for a bit. Survival - Preparedness - SHTF - Back to Basics at Survivalmonkey.com and here Survival - Preparedness - SHTF - Medicine at Survivalmonkey.com
Try to break your preps into 3 areas: Short term 3-10 days without power/services after a storm Mid-term: 1-3 months without services (including reliable grocery) after a natural / manmade / other disaster. Long Term: 3 months to 1 year (and beyond?) without resupply Chances are, you'll most often need things in the short term category. If you fill this need first, you can then start to build on the others without replicating your efforts. As for a list? Look around your house, look in your pantry and fridge, look in your bathroom. What do you use now that you wouldn't want to have if the power was out for 2 weeks? Start making lists and then categorize them into Need and Nice to Have. Survival is 95% about mindset and 5% about products. It's just that we're living in a consumer/product driven society. I see a lot of people start to get scared as they first realize they may be behind the game in preparedness - especially if they feel something is coming soon. Sometimes they spend money on high-end/advanced items like expensive night vision or generators when they don't have their food and water requirements taken care of... I'd focus on storable food and a means to guarantee that you have drinkable water first. You may want to PM JC Refuge about his current 25% off Mountain House dehydrated food sale. I wouldn't spend money on anything but water of food until I had those areas taken care of. Of course, your climate comes into play too: warmth, shelter, etc.
As far as food any medications go we already have enough to get us thru for a good while, i have found other sources online with list if these items. As a matter of fact we have enough food to be able to help others, ( this was a main goal for my wife, she wnated to make sure we had around 18 months worth of food and water for giving out), I have taken care of firearms and ammo, we have alot!! what has been real hard is a realistic list of everyday items that has been hard to come by. Sure I could read Patriots again and take all those items into consideration but come on really?
I strongly agree with your comment: 95% stuff-5% mindset. So much of what we do is to focus upon the stuff, stuff, stuff. But without the right (survival-oriented) mindset, stuff alone will not get it done. Thanks for bringing us back to this core essential, Melbo!
Whoops, I flip flopped the stuff and the mindset. BUT, that did help to illustrate how unbalanced we can be in our prepping.
This should give you some ideas: From Beginning Prepper, to Fully-Stocked Retreat: What to Buy, and When, by Scott in Wisconsin - SurvivalBlog.com
That actually is a darn good place to start. If you use it now, odds on you'll want some when the lights go out. Exception would be medical supplies. Drugs are fairly easy, first, second and tertiary aid can become hard to get. From your post above, it sounds like you have a good start on supplies. Time to work on knowledge.
Have you thought about Communications? What do you use to communicate with your wife if the phones and Cellphones are cut off?
Communications wait does that mean she can't gripe at me? haha just kidding, all good ideas i have not thought of.
Personal Survival Kit Checklistgarbage bags (2, preferably orange, large) lighter (my preference is a butane lighter that works like a little blowtorch) matches (strikeanywhere type) in a waterproof metal case (with a striker, just in case) magnesium flint striker (hey, I like fires!) Fishing line, hooks and lures. (Dont use fishing lines for snares, wee-beasties will just bite threw it) metal cup (folding, for boiling water) multitool or Swiss Army–style knife (make sure it has a small sawblade) painkillers (a few) parachute cord or similar rope (about 25 feet [7.5 m] of 1/4inch [0.6cm]cord) protein bar sharp belt knife solar, or "space," blanket (small)whistle Ziploc bag (medium or large) coffee can or similar receptacle (in which to place all items) If you use a large number 10 can you can turn that into a Hobo Stove... How to Make a Hobo Stove - Do It Yourself - MOTHER EARTH NEWS
As many of the poster here have said it alot about many diff subect's and skills along with a simple mind set of i will survive .
Thanks to everyone on the many ideas this has given my wife and I many good ideas and a place to start.
Here is a good read for a beginning prepper: The 7 core areas of preparedness by Patrice Lewis Issue #133
I think that I recall reading somewhere that the basic license for shortwave operators is not going to require a knowledge of Morse Code. Morse Code can be very useful; and, not only via shortwave: flashing lights or banging on something can communicate way further for way longer with less energy than a lot of other methods. Do not even think of including shouting with your voice. That takes more effort than you think, the human voice does not carry far (unless you have exceptional circumstances) and the endurance of the human voice is not very good either. When I first learned Morse Code, it seemed like 20 words per minute (a word is considered any group of five letters) was a very comfortable rhythm to work with. You can do this. Learning it is cheap and this new skill set will benefit you in any number of potentially challenging circumstances.
Myself, if I were about to start all over or for the first time, I would be working on the long and short term water situation. Water is key to survival in any situation. Then food. If you really think about it long and hard enough, guns and 10 trillion rounds of ammo really are not that paramont to survival. After all, how many guns and how much ammo can you carry on any given day. I myself, would rather have one trusty old rifle and pistol, and rounds for both , thereby allowing myself more time and money for food and water development. Also, a lot depends on wheather you are planning to bug in or bug out. If it is the in scenario, then you can stockpile much more food and water. Without either or both, first thing happens is people get a little or a lot desparate , then they get weak, then they die. The lists are as variable as people's minds. Do you have kids at home ? Do they not depend on you and yours to have meals ready for them when they are hungry ? That is the first thing I would tend to.