What Is Next..... The Modern Prep Dilemma.

Agree with the last part of your statement, the first ,not so much. Have two Sthils in the shed that never fail. No more than the 3rd pull and we are ready. No problems with the Husky or Jonsered either. Echo's in my experience are more for the weekend explorer. YMMV.

 

That's because you were not blessed with a penis

 

Lol

 

Ah, a black budget. Without congressional review. That's what I call my gun fund, Sass of course being the congressional oversight committee

 

Seems like everyone wants the fast twist 223 barrels these days.
If you want to get anything with a slower twist your best bet is a mini14.

 

People whine and moan about the cost of solar because it has a slow return, but invest twice as much into a toy like a boat or ATV that has no return .
A lot of priorities need to be adjusted IF we are going to survive .
I was just thinking as I got up this morning ,
Post SHTF it is likely that I won't be sleeping in a bed any more, you sleep when you can get it.
"It's a war zone" not a vacation.
It really doesn't matter whether your in the woods, or in a bunker, or in your home, and even if you've got some level of security ,you can't be a civilian any more .
Do you have the resolve to act against raiders ? no matter what age they are ?
What is you plan of action with them ?
What are you leadership skills, if any ?
These take training that may or may not need to take place, but never the less if one is to deal with the unprepared, you need to have the know how to meet the need, either to be leader or effectively support a leader.
WE are facing a new /different time and the only way to enter that time is to be prepared to face it ,not hide from it.
Nothing will be the same facing or hiding , but those hiding will be unprepared for the changes , whether you are willing to adjust to them or not.

 

If I had a $1000 to spend. That is really not much but it would take care of lots of little things on my lis. The little things add up quickly.

Upgrade my portable solar. I went cheap and got cheap.
Get better knife and ax sharpening tools
Up-grade my sleeping bags.
Anything leftover, I would spend on getting duplicates and triplicates of what is in my EDC bag. I want the kids to have the same stuff as I have.

 

You might include a boy scout manual for the kids to relate to.
I'm surprised that modern books don't include bushcraft like they use to.
A vintage book might be more in line with bushcraft.

 

WHA??? Are you telling me that the current Boy Scout Manual doesn't teach bushcraft??

Why the hell be a Boy Scout then??

 

He is correct. I took my youngest to Boy Scouts years ago. The first meeting they stood around a fire that the leader built and got going then the leader read a poem and they talked about it. It was stupid. I had great activity ideas but we ended up quitting scouts.

 

Think I'd make a reservation at Disney's Fort Wilderness Campground. That way the 1K would give all the little ones thier greatest memory of what it was like before SHTF. JMHO.

 

my recommendation was for an vintage manual not a current one.

 

About Disney, I'll call that vintage Americana. But he was known as a Military Failure.

 

The BSA makes provision for limited training with fire arms and archery....so I guess they have that going for them. Online Version though playing with cannon and other artillery is not encouraged.

 

It ain't sexy, Airborne. But I recommend a kitchen grade wood stove. Lehman' has the Pioneer Princess for example but an expert could probably recommend better and cheaper to fit your budget.

You say you live in the woods. This is a wood stove. It makes life much more efficient and smoother. Anything that helps that much if standard logistics stop is golden.

Hooah?

 

Auto stove made roughly in the 1860s cast iron and tin, I restored with boiler plate. works like charm

 

A kitchen wood stove increases cooking efficiency a great deal. That means less time preparing firewood.

I remember a TV show in the 90s? That had participants living like settlers in the old west. They were judged at the end by experts to see if they would have made the winter.

There was one guy who didn't get involved in the theatrical BS and worked his ass off haying and gathering firewood from dawn to dusk. He failed for still not having what was judged to be enough.

That's an example that struck me hard when I was contemplating life after grid.

 

Training comes to mind, take a few classes on gun fighting, emergency first aid, etc. There's always a focus on the material things to get, but making sure you know how to properly use those items when needed. In a stressful situation, you will operate at your lowest level of training.

If you have one of something that is essential for whatever you need it for, get another one.
As others have said, reloading equipment, then the supplies needed (powder, primer, bullets, cases, etc.)

Sometimes you also just need to blow it and get some fun toys or take the family on a vacation. (note, you can say it's a vacation but make it into a learning experience).