Are You Still Prepping?

I ask this because I find myself in a lull. This morning I realized it had been so long since I had made homemade bread or started a sour dough starter. These are skills I used to practice but not in a while. Remembering back to when I first started prepping, I realize that I have been stagnant. I still do somethings but I have slowed down, I wonder if others have experienced the same thing. The first years were scrambling, building up my food supplies, acquiring skills, resources and knowledge. Currently I am at a comfortable level but not where I want to be.

I want the prepping zest back. When one starts out, so many things are new; almost a new discovery everyday but now I know a lot but I know there is always stuff to be learned. Anyone else experiencing prepping lulls?

 

Still a minimalist I am

 

Well...if this mini-ice age hits, as some say it will starting in 2020, then we are all in for a big friggin lesson in prepping but I wonder if even prepping will be enough in this case. I doubt it.

Actually, I do much of my best prepping during the winter when I have time to perform the research and less to think about. For example, soon I will start studying for Extra (Radio) Exam, going to research Night Vision and see if there is anything worth purchasing within my price range, a new type of generator hookup that's approved by the Electric Company that hooks directly into your main line so all you do is throw mains to generator, going to go through and inspect my dried foods (beans, green peas, rice, etc.) maybe give some away, and I still need a way to get water from my cistern manually...

So, prepping truly never stops but sometimes if does go slower/faster than other times.

 

Next year I am planning on buying a gas powered tractor. Although this is John Deere country I'm looking for a Ford 8N or such. I'm also planning to buy more food to add to my present stores. Three more years should get me to a good place.

 

I calls them deployments.

 

I can prep for a million things but it's that million and one thing you don't see coming! My limitations are money,time and space. Sucks living in an apartment.

 

Yes and no I have started working with the grandson who is now in scouting I have realized I have way to many knives just kidding there are never too many. I stay busy and now with winter in the midwest I will start working on the inside part of preps and go through the food stores. I am a true believer in being able to walk away from anything if I have to leave or lose my preps ok I know how and where to get and find more. I will do what needs to be done to survive.

 

In a lull here too. Health problems, other "life necessities" taking priority, etc.
But I am trying to maintain a certain level of prepping, for weather issues and other more probable troubles.
Major prep things I had planned are backburnered for now.

 

I think prepping, like many other things, has plateaus.

You zip up to a goal, then coast a while, recharge, and zip up to another goal.

Each time, once a motivation is fulfilled, it's time to find another.

But there's no hurry: Prepping is a procession, not a destination.

 

I've been prepping since '73/74 and it's ok to hit lulls now and again. Staves off burnout for one thing. For another it allows you time to kick back and define your direction and your next step. Like UncleMorgan said, take the trip, you'll know when you get there.

 

Sadly I have noticed more prepper talk in the last few weeks.

Very true, that is where knowledge, skills and knowing what you need (learning) is so important. Just this year, we have seen hurricanes & wildfires wipe out everything people own. They will be starting fresh and I am sure what they have experienced will reflect in their new homes. Disasters create preppers. And these people will be motivated.

 

Never found a place to stop.

 

Prepping is a state of mind, sometimes its goods, sometimes its knowledge, sometimes its just holding your own. My prepping moment this week was making agreeable noises as my carpenter neighbor showed off his new F-350 Ford pickup and explained that the payments after his trade in was only $600 a month for 6 years. Plates and insurance are going to be another $150 or so a month. Then he has to buy fuel, tires, oil changes, some work on it at least in the later years. My old F250 with 150,000 miles and paid for looks better every day. If we go back to the old system of lay offs in the winter, everything he owns or the bank owns and he makes payments on, house, car, furniture, credit card bills, will be gone in the first winter. I can not imagine living with something like that hanging over my head.

 

Still plugging along. Lots of comfort in having duplicates of stuff in multiple locations. For me there's a division between coastal and inland storage. As the cold weather moves in, I'll be breaking out more gas stoves for testing and cooking, and will likely try some new wood stove pipe/chimney setups since it was all taken down before the storm.

It's not that hard to stay motivated. Just look at the way you do one thing, (fire starting, can opening, laundry) and then think how you could do it without the gear you've grown comfortable with. No Plan B? Then there's the next area to work on.

Are the animals warm enough at night? How's your medical kit(s)? Can you swim...with all your gear and rifle? Too much stuff? Sell, trade or give it away. You might sell off duplicate camping gear and purchase bulk .22 ammo, or another vintage cast iron frying pan.

How about just catching up on reading?

There's always something.

 

Just living life like I always have..........

 

I don't ever see a point where I'll feel comfortable enough to say I'm done prepping.

Have you built any firearms on 80% receivers? .... Don't answer that, but it'll give you something to work toward...while it's still reasonably affordable. If you don't already have enough.

 

SHTF seems to be getting closer here in New England. The greens have stopped every attempt to build new gas lines, storage is low, most of coal electric plants closed or converted to NG, and they are talking cold winter. Last time that happened, surcharge for gas in New Hampshire on electric bills was about $1 billion dollars. They forecasted a high this winter of about $3.70 for natural gas delivered in Boston and today the national price was $4.51 with no surcharges. Looks like a long cold expensive winter for a lot of people. Glad my wood shed has a couple or three years worth of wood in it. Well the national debt went from 10 to 20 trillion under Obama, if the left gets their free schools, free medical, maternity leaves, cheap subsidized housing, $15 an hour minimum wage, etc, might be eating span and rice cooked on wood stove, hope not. Sitting in front of a warm wood fire, ate supper out of the garden, good dog keeping an eye on me, good bed waiting for me, reasonably healthy 80 year old, have an awful lot to thank God about and spending time prepping is just kind of icing on the cake.