I’m still going through boxes and I’m not settled in yet, but there appears to be some light at the end of the moving tunnel. My hope is that it’s not a runaway train!
I’ve been talking to some of my co-workers about prepping, but only after I was asked about all the gear in my lunchbox/ice chest. We've all been in one of “those” conversations involving bunkers, guns and safe rooms before, and I try to avoid getting involved in them if at all possible. Thankfully, I don’t get them with my group; we happen to be older than the average employee for this type of retail business and tend to have a more serious attitude when it comes to caring for our families and ourselves.
So when I'm questioned, it's a genuine request for real information. One man is moving to a fairly rural area soon and had asked about prepping for colder weather -- his property has trees and it seems like he's planning to be reasonably self-sufficient. Unfortunately, the only book he has is the one that seems to be the basis for all the really bad TV shows on prepping. No, I’m not going to mention it or put up a link.
I did give him an off-the-top-of-my-head reading list and the address to this blog, and I gave him the book that I happened to have in my car: Les Stroud's SURVIVE! Essential Skills and Tactics to Get You Out of Anywhere - Alive.
From the back cover:
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| https://amzn.to/2D8Vo4X |
Stroud offers readers the essential skills and tactics necessary to
endure in any corner of the globe, along with a wealth of insider
information born of his own experiences in the outdoors and unavailable
in any other book. Readers will learn:
- How to make a survival shelter and why a lean-to is largely a waste of time.
- Why survival kits are important, and why you should make your own.
- Where to find water and why drinking contaminated water is sometimes warranted.
- How to locate and trap small animals and why the notion of tracking and hunting large game is largely a pipe dream.
Even More Good News
My friends are with me in preparing for emergencies! I’ve put much of my stored food (still in totes) where everyone can find it, and everyone knows what's inside. I do have some things stored just for me, but the majority is for everyone to share. Lucky for me, what could have been a clash of cultures isn’t a problem -- my friend is Asian, and all of her cooking is absolutely amazing! There have been several attempts to ‘Stump the White Guy’ and serve unknown items, but my tastes are varied and I have only a very small list of foods that I avoid. Nothing I’ve been served over the years is offensive or impossible to eat. I've learned to cook food from several different cultures, and now have learned several different recipes from my ‘Sister’!
My purchase of the emergency ladder mentioned in last week’s post has been pushed back at least one week and maybe two because some things changed last week here in California. One thing that I don't normally talk about is the subject of armed personal protection, it because California is not very self-protection friendly. That changed last week with a court ruling, making it easier to buy items that could possibly help in self-protection. That ruling only lasted a week, and from hearsay reports potentially millions of these items were ordered and shipped into California! I looked into spending part of my prepping budget and found that most online retailers were sold out and had very long back-order lists! Several gun blogs were asking their readers not to order so that Californians could have first shot (heh!) at the inventory! Quite a good problem to have, if you’re an online retailer.
The Takeaway
- Always be open to answering honest questions. Who knows where the conversation will lead?
- Prepping means having more than food put away. Some ready cash should be available to make emergency purchases!
The Recap
- One copy of Les Stroud's SURVIVE! was given away and needs to be replaced.
- If you don't have a copy, Amazon has a paperback version available for $8.32 with Prime.
Just a reminder: if you plan on buying anything through
Amazon, please consider using our referral link. When you do, a portion
of the sale comes back here to help keep this site running!
If you have comments, suggestions or corrections, please post them so we all can learn. And remember, Some Is Always Better Than None!
NOTE:
All items tested were purchased by me. No products have been loaned or
given in exchange for a favorable review. Any items sent to me for
T&E will be listed as such. Suck it Feds.
I always liked Les Stroud as opposed to some of the other people who try to do the type of things he does. Somehow his ideas just make more sense, and his actual demonstrations are believable. We do keep a little over a thousand dollars in a safe in our house, in cash, plus I always have a small stash of about one hundred stashed in my wallet, that is hidden from any normal money, as a just in case fund. I have given some away at times, and have used it when a stores electronic machine was down at other times. I have been able to slowly begin to discussing prepping with neighbors, just mentioning things like how the weather coming at times causes power outages and how we could have to survive on our own for a day or two, and how would we do it, that sort of thing. Baby steps for some of them, but steps at least.
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