dont be put off...

[mikebratcher69]

In a way this is for all the people new to prepping and survival.

Sometimes looking at the forums and listening to what preps others have can be sort of off putting.
Years ago I was a regular visitor to an american forum where shall we say the emphasis was shifting from normal persons survival to all the latest kit weapons etc.
The last time I visited they were testing out eating utensils costing upwards of $50.
What the hells wrong with a knife fork and spoon raided from the cutlery draw, or even a spork, you made yourself?
That was all well and good but the amount of people that must have been put off prepping and survival because they thought they couldnt afford it.
So to all new comers and oldies alike, dont forget preppings about knowledge as well as kit, kit can be improvised, knowledge cant.
If you have no money for kit, dont worry your averge kitchen knife attatched to a branch makes an adequate spear for defence, a hammer makes a good anti personnel weapon, as do stones etc.
Dont give up, learn, aquire knowledge, buy cheap things if you can afford them, any kit even cheap kit from the pound shops better than none.
Humans have been on this planet for quite a while, and amazingly they didnt have berghaus rucksacks, nor ak47's or even Danner Striker boots etc...Look at the primitive jungle tribes for inspiration, or the desert nomads or even the poor in India. We mostly carry some sort of knife, thats a big advantage from what our first ancesters had, yet thay managed.
The viet cong waged war against the Americans in flip flops made from car tyres, the taliban do it in sandals!! no altberg jungle boots in sight!!
I mean I dont know how to make flint arrow heads, I've seen how you nap flint on t.v. but never put it into practical use.
But still I'm at an advantage over somebody whos never seen how to do it, I have an idea of how its done, thats where the learning and storing of knowledge comes in you see? I have a starting point, somebody who's not aquired knowledge hasnt.
Store as much as you can in your head as well as in books, books can be lost, your head cant. It doesnt matter if you dont remember it now, you will do when the time comes, read and absorb the knowledge.
How many times have you suddenly remembered something you thought you'd forgotten years ago, in fact you didnt even know you'd forgoten it, until you remembered it. Your brains a vast store house and as preppers its an invaluable resourse and it's free!!

[NorthernRaider]

Damn good appraisal Mike, Its right you dont need loads of money, you dont need to be a soldier, you need to be motivated and adaptable.
Very little of my gear is Guchi kit, most of it is bought cos it was on offer.
I think my only extravegance in 30 years has been my air rifle and my lock knife, everything else I got as cheap as I could.

Guchi Kit is no substitute for Common Sense.

[bigpaul]

good post Mike, a lot of kit can be bought on ebay for not much more than pennies, Amazon is good for books both fiction and non fiction, but like you say nothing beats knowledge, one day you may be stranded without your BOB or your GHB, just what you've got in your pockets thats when knowledge will save your life. Knowledge is power someone said-can't remember who-and its so true, even stuff i learnt in the Boy Scouts 50 years ago will come in handy one day.

[Skean Dhude]

Good post Mike. That is exactly what I've been saying from day one. Little steps and build up. Everyone can do it.

I hope nobody has come here and left with that impression.

[mikebratcher69]

I doubt it, It's a good site best one I've been on so far, relevent, and not o.t.t. "keep it simples" as the meerkat says...

[Nemesis]

(9 December 2011, 13:40)mikebratcher69 Wrote: I doubt it, It's a good site best one I've been on so far, relevent, and not o.t.t. "keep it simples" as the meerkat says...

Simple works.

As for costs, it is up and down we should not buy to cheap and have something that is going to break on us after X amount of use, I tend to target military surplus to meet my target range of supplies and not break the bank.

Plus ex-army gear/kit is built to last in most cases, for example say average prepper has 500/1000 cans of food, you’re going to need something that is proven and heavy duty post shtf to open the tins, I mean in most cases we won’t be able to go buy a new can opener when our cheap one breaks right?,

so look at this Bonzer Professional Tin opener 15 pound from military mart, I bought two one for use now and one in with my prep stores, even if I bought another equal 3 I still would be saving on the price of the cheapest one online which I think is around £55.

Link for interest:

http://www.militarymart.co.uk//Bonzer-Pr...d_670.html

I built up a solar build and tried to make it as cheap as I could but it still was quite a few pounds but worth that investment, again your wording "simple" works in this case as in I priced it and made it to meet my needs post shtf.

Good Post Mike.

[bigpaul]

OH has just said that is for opening catering size tins, i buy loads of the ordinary basic hand held tin openers, we keep a couple in the kitchen and the rest goes in my "emergency box", i buy about half a dozen at a time when i see them cheap!

[Nemesis]

(9 December 2011, 17:48)bigpaul Wrote: OH has just said that is for opening catering size tins, i buy loads of the ordinary basic hand held tin openers, we keep a couple in the kitchen and the rest goes in my "emergency box", i buy about half a dozen at a time when i see them cheap!

Yes they will open the larger tins as well as near on any smaller tins BP, it even opens them roundish triangle ham tins, not that you would need to as they come with a key, but point is it opens near on everything they are very good.

[bigpaul]

just a thought, but isnt it a trifle heavy for bugging out with? does look a hellava lump!

[Nemesis]

(9 December 2011, 18:07)bigpaul Wrote: just a thought, but isnt it a trifle heavy for bugging out with? does look a hellava lump!

Without really going in to much detail, but yes it would be heavy for a person to bug out with, if your running off to the woods on foot or the like, I would not recommend it.

In my case I am not alone and bug out is let’s say on a larger scale to what I have read yours will be BP.

I prefer the term move out over bug out, we intend to move out but if bug out is ever needed then they will be of no real use to us anyway.