Feeling unprepped and inadequate

[NorthernRaider]

Guys I was being cynical just pushing the point that huge numbers of preppers wont travel ten miles to an RZ so they wont drive 2 hours to practice BO out drills. Not only are things cheaper and distances greater but motivation and commitment are generally much greater out there as well. ( Cept for that prepaholic Nemesis )

[Paul]

It's a problem for me knowing what level to prep to.
A long while ago I got a copy of the LDS manual of what you would need to survive.
I read it, thought about it, and put it onto the book shelf.
I'm just not ready to assemble what seems like close on a tonne of stores.
It's like equipment.
Tools, camping gear, vehicles, etc.
Even if money was no object (Oh boy I wish), I'd still flinch at the quantity.
Weapons? Well that's a funny one that.
They are a good idea BUT in today's regulated world, it's a toss up on whether to go fully Rambo or more like Bambi.
The problem as I see it is until something happens, you don't know what you'll need YET that's what prepping is all about.
Sort of a catch 22 scenario.
Buy loads or wait and see.

[NorthernRaider]

(7 September 2012, 08:35)Paul Wrote: It's a problem for me knowing what level to prep to.
A long while ago I got a copy of the LDS manual of what you would need to survive.
I read it, thought about it, and put it onto the book shelf.
I'm just not ready to assemble what seems like close on a tonne of stores.
It's like equipment.
Tools, camping gear, vehicles, etc.
Even if money was no object (Oh boy I wish), I'd still flinch at the quantity.
Weapons? Well that's a funny one that.
They are a good idea BUT in today's regulated world, it's a toss up on whether to go fully Rambo or more like Bambi.
The problem as I see it is until something happens, you don't know what you'll need YET that's what prepping is all about.
Sort of a catch 22 scenario.
Buy loads or wait and see.

I try when possible to go minimist cos I'm skint, so when i buy stuff I try to make things do two jobs, IE archery is a sport for us as is shooting, camping is a liesure pastime but the kit is the same in general for prepping. at home when we refitted the living room we put in a multi fuel fire ( wood or coal) so we got better prepped and a prettier living room. Vehicles we go a van for camping and bugging out in but also its good for making a few bob shifting things for people. The 4x4 is needed both as a BOV / recce vehicle but also to ensure my missus can get to her patients safely in winter. I visited some nice LDS folks and was amazed how much they set aside but I just dont have the space or money that those folks have. We made big enough sacrifices to move out of the urban areas to the semi boonies but as with all things its a comprimise innit ?

[Prepper1]

I think most people here in the u.k. are in the same boat, I.e. little money and lots of things to buy with it.
Same as N.R. I try to get things to serve a dual purpose. AND I'm always looking on gumtree and freecycle for freebies or cheap stuff.
Like with my boat trailer I'm retro fitting for prepping, It cost me £40 quid. It was advertised at £60 but had been there for a few weeks so I offered £40 and he accepted. so with the red oxide( £20 for 5 liters off ebay and I've got loads left for other projects) and a wire brush ( 3.00 off ebay again, its a ultra heavy duty one and still looks new even though I've done the whole trailer with it), two new brake rods £5 with free shipping, 4.00 for a joining nut, free postage, and a handbrake for 3.00 and £10 for a light board. when I buy the wood for the bottom it'll probably have cost about £100 quid all in maybe £150
Bit of a big layout but it's 16 foot long and 6 foot wide so its worth its weight in gold as I can also use it like N.R's van for picking up bulky stuff which again saves on delivery costs, and its great for my preps as I could probably put the whole house on it if I needed to bug out anywhere. Like a lot of things if you look around first instead of buying the first thing you see, you can save a small fortune.
for example a new set of brake shoes for my trailer are advertised at £ 60 a set NOT including postage!!! So a bit of research after looking at the wheels and thinking "they look like moggy wheels to me" found that because its a late 50's early 60's trailer, It does indeed use morris 1000 wheels and brakes, these being available on ebay for £16.00 and FREE postage thereby saving me £45 quid!!!
I've lost count of the times I've had to fix my car with no money and had to improvise a fix for free, often utilizing some of the wifes cutlery or some other household item...household repairs that would cost a fortune if you'd had somebody out to do them do them yourself or in my case landlord that cant be arsed doing it.... anyway I try and do everything myself if I can, or with my two boys help, sometimes the wife, the old saying that knowledge is power is certainly true in that regard and the sense of pride you get from doing something for yourself AND knowing you've saved a small fortune is great.

---

P.s. don't tell the wife about the cutlery and other assorted bits from the house that go missing.... I blame the kids...

[Skean Dhude]

NR,

To late to change your mind. I've done a post on it.

[NorthernRaider]

Post and be damned Sir, Post and be damned Hurrumph

[Skvez]

I was dissapointed that the doomsday preppers with the container compound 'tested' their containers by shooting at the corners.
The corners of a container are reinforced and do the majority of the supporting of the container above, they were not a realistic target. They should have shot at the side of a container.
Also 0.22 is the smallest calibre they would experience, they should also have tested something bigger. Right now they have an unrelaistic belief that they are safe from small arms fire.

While I liked the concept of the compound they needed some form of gate to close the open corner and at least slow down anyone trying to get inside the compound.

[NorthernRaider]

Would have been much more rwalistic with 5.56 NATO 223 Winchester which is the round of choice for most yanks into military weaponry with 30-07 and 7.62 NATO not far behind , but being yanks if they shot at the side of a 40 ft shipping container from more than 50 feet they would probably kill a Canadian or Mexican by accident.

[Barneyboy]

(7 September 2012, 14:20)NorthernRaider Wrote: Would have been much more rwalistic with 5.56 NATO 223 Winchester which is the round of choice for most yanks into military weaponry with 30-07 and 7.62 NATO not far behind , but being yanks if they shot at the side of a 40 ft shipping container from more than 50 feet they would probably kill a Canadian or Mexican by accident.

heard on radio uk is starting to use 7.62 nato rounds because the 5.56 is not good enough

[NorthernRaider]

Barney we did not want to give up 7.62 when we had the SLR but the bloody yanks insisted on all NATO members standardising on 5.56 then they found out in Iraq and Afghanistan its a crap round, So whilst the yanks rummaged around refitting M14s we got our GPMGs out of store and fast ordered loads of other kit that would do 7.62 or bigger like 338 Lapua Magnum etc. We should have kept the SLR L1A1 its superior to the L85A2