Nature Abhors a Vacuum

 Aristotle wrote it down, but others probably noticed it before him: the natural order of things doesn't allow empty spaces to remain empty for very long -- something will fill the void.

For preppers, this is a necessary part of our planning. When something goes missing, we need to think about what will fill its place. This covers more than just physical things, however; organizations and ideas are also subject to the rules of nature. Here are some examples.

Money

There is a lot of chatter about the US dollar losing its place in the world economy. People have relied on the dollar as a foundation for commerce since the end of WW2, but recent events are eroding the confidence that people had. Something will replace it, maybe several somethings; there are other currencies in use around the world and something will become the new standard. It may fall back to hard currency like gold and silver, or it could be a different fiat currency backed by nothing but promises, but something will take its place.

For preppers, barter and exchange of services will likely be at least short-term replacements for any currency failures. These also have the advantage of being difficult to tax and regulate, so they're popular among the more fringe elements of the prepper-sphere.

Leaders

Many people desire leaders, and big projects require them. Here in America we have a tradition of being more self-directed than many cultures, and my time in the military taught me the differences between our way of fighting and most other countries. The loss of a leader is less of an issue for the US military, because someone will step up and take control of the situation; that's the way we were trained. The armies of many other nations teach blind obedience to their leaders, and the loss of those leaders leads to troops that are lost and ineffective.

Politics is similar in that we have layers of control, and the loss of a leader is rarely a total disaster. We've had Presidents assassinated without the system falling apart, because someone filled the position in an orderly fashion. We have a written plan for who takes over next; it's one of the basic parts of our form of government. Compare that to the times a dictator dies in office and the chaos that ensues.

Try to make arrangements within your team/tribe/family to cover the loss of leaders, because it will keep things going in trying times.

Conflict

Times of peace are aberrations in human history; our natural order involves conflict on some level or other. Look at history and you'll see that there is always a war or dispute of some sort going on somewhere, and this isn't going to change. The end of WW1 led to the conditions that started WW2, and at the end of that we got the Korean conflict and Viet Nam along with a Cold War that lasted until it was time to start wars back up in the Middle East. Going further back in history shows the same trend, with constant conflict somewhere is the default setting.

Looking at it from a more personal level, how often does a bully retire after breaking a victim? They don't, they just start looking for the next one. They have to have conflict in their lives to feel alive. The same goes for the drama queens that are found in any group of people; they need to stir the pot and create conflict as much as they need to breathe.

Preppers should be aware that conflict is part of life and try to learn methods for dealing with it. De-escalation works on small conflicts, but force may be required to settle larger ones. Shut down or shut out the drama queens for your own mental health and the well-being of all in your tribe.

Recreational Chemistry

The use of various compounds to alter reality is at least as old as humanity, and there are documented reports of other animals knowingly using naturally occurring drugs to get drunk or high, so it's not unique to humans. The “Temperance” movement of a century ago thought they could ban alcohol, but all they did was create a black market and a very wealthy bunch of organized criminals. The “War on Drugs” is having a similar lack of effect on the amount of drugs available to those who seek them, and has fueled a synthetic drug industry that is producing some scary concoctions. I have contacts who have worked for the DEA and Coast Guard and some of the stories they've told me about the smuggling trade are impressive. If the profit margin is high enough, people will find a way around any law or border because their customers will find a way to feed their addictions.

Know your people and their personal addictions. Like most human traits, addictions come in various shapes and sizes and some people handle them better than others. Alcoholism runs in my family, so I keep a close eye on my personal consumption. I've seen how it can affect a family and don't want to make those same mistakes. I've also known drug addicts of all sorts over the years; some of them lost their lives to the drugs, while others were able to be functional members of society while still being hooked to heroin or meth. The loss of supply will make addicts to anything do strange things to feed that need, so at least be aware of your peoples' vulnerabilities.

Being a prepper is more than just stocking up on beans, bullets, and band-aids. We have to plan for the long term, and find ways to keep going even though everything around us is falling apart.

Hurting

I heard something on TV the other night that rang true. I was watching a documentary and one of the participants mentioned that “Hurt people, hurt people”. To put that in context, he was talking about growing up in a family with abusive relations, and he was referring to the fact that most abusers were abused themselves. People who have been hurt tend to hurt others. I'm not going to cover victims of abuse; that's a topic for a professional and would take years to cover properly. If you are one of those victims, please seek help and do what you can to break the cycle.

I know some out there are thinking “What's this got to do with prepping?”, but unless you're stranded on an island with nobody else around, you're going to be dealing with people. In times of crisis, you'll be dealing with people more than most of us do on a daily level, and it will be face-to-face rather than on a phone or computer. Interpersonal communications is one of the casualties of our modern society; the growth of electronic devices has made it easier to communicate, but has taken the “personal” out of the equation. Any of the scenarios that shut down electronic communications (EMP, CME, large-scale disaster, war, etc.) will put the “personal” back, so you need to be ready for it.

I'm old enough to have grown up before the internet. I was in high school when personal computers became available; I've watched the evolution of how people communicate, and it hasn't always been for the better. The anonymity of typing on a keyboard, saying whatever you want to whoever you want, is a recent development. For most of history and in times where those electronic devices aren't available, saying most of the things I see online would and will result in a very personal response. Spout off to the wrong person without a computer screen between you and someone is going to get their ass kicked.

The people that you meet are more than just the face and body that you can see: they have a history that is unknown to you until you start to interact with them. Watch for the “coping mechanisms” like drug/alcohol abuse that many use to dull the pains they've accumulated. Our bodies produce some potent drugs of their own, so the adrenaline junkies and sex addicts are in the same category as the town drunk and the local meth heads.

Humans are animals with a touch of the ability to reason. We can rise above our basic nature, but it takes effort, training, or a belief system that teaches us that we're “above” the animals. Wounded animals are dangerous -- they will lash out at anything near them in their pain -- and wounded humans aren't much different, because pain of any sort can strip away the desire or ability to rise above our basic animal nature. The source of that pain can be physical, emotional, spiritual, or a combination of those, and all of those are common in times of crisis. Some people can recover from injuries, but others can't. Sometimes the injury and the pain is just too deep and they carry it for the rest of their lives. This will affect how they deal with others and is something you need to watch for.

None of this is written as an excuse for bad behavior. I'm not making excuses for assholes; just be aware that some people are the way they are because of things that you're unaware of and probably can't affect. You need to find ways to deal with people of all types in order to get things done after TSHTF, and they're not all going to be easy to deal with.

Start practicing now by getting some experience dealing with people on a personal level. My current job has me interacting with customers 10-20 times a day. I'm in a rural area where everybody knows everybody, so it's easier for me to relate to people on a personal level. Some of my customers are pleasant and courteous, while others are assholes; I deal with them as best I can and try to learn a bit from each of them. Remember that even an asshole is useful; if nothing else, they're a good example of how not to act. 

Mental Flexibility

One of the main differences that I've seen between preppers and “normal” people is their level of mental flexibility. I don't mean the range of ideas that people consider; I mean the very concept that other ideas are possible.

“Normal” people are often stuck in a rut of some sort. They have a routine that varies only slightly from day to day, and if it varies beyond their comfort zone they react poorly. Panic, aggression, denial, and stasis (shutting down, not moving or acting at all) are common “normal” responses to any situation that violates their view of existence. The trope of a “Karen” flipping out over minor things that has become popular in recent years is a good example of how an inflexible mind reacts to change. Other examples include:

• The route/road to work is closed due to weather, an accident, construction, etc. A “normie” will get frustrated, angry, or confused. This starts the day on a sour note that will color how they react to everything for hours.
• One of the rugrats fell and scraped their knee. Panic ensues and the really clueless will call 911. The child learns that this is a “normal” reaction and will likely react the same way when they get older.
• A button pops off of a shirt, a zipper breaks, or a pair of pants gets a hole in it. It's “normal” to toss it in the trash and buy a new one, while lamenting the poor quality (that they chose).
• Violation of the “4 stupids” rules (being in a stupid place, with stupid people, at a stupid time of night, doing stupid things) causes bad things to happen. Normies will find someone to blame (denial) for the consequences of those bad things. Note that if you remove at least one of the “stupids”, things tend to work out. I've got plenty of good stories of doing things with 2-3 of them, but rarely has any activity with all 4 turned out well.
• Job requirements change and you're expected to do something new/different. I've seen a lot of this lately due to economic and social changes and anger, denial, and stasis are very common reactions. My work varies with the seasons and I've seen people quit a job because they were told they couldn't sit around and drink coffee all day if there were no customers. The concept of doing anything beyond what they considered their job was so abhorrent that they quit rather than learn something new. “I haven't done that for the 15 years I've been here, why should I start now?” is a direct quote from a co-worker.

Preppers, on the other hand, tend to be a bit more flexible in their thinking. If something goes awry, they try to find ways to keep moving towards their goals. Surviving may be the main goal that we strive for, while being aware that life is temporary, but even shorter-term goals can be achieved despite hiccups of the universe if you keep looking for ways to make them happen. Examples:

• Road blockages are just a good reason to explore new routes to work, or aren't a problem because you already have alternate routes planned. You might be a few minutes late, but the day isn't ruined.
• Scraped knees, minor cuts and burns, and other minor medical issues are treated at home from the first aid kit or medicine cabinet. Children learn to take care of themselves and others rather than relying on “professionals” for everything.
• Minor wardrobe malfunctions are a part of life and a needle and thread are not some kind of arcane magic. Repairing clothing saves money for use on other things. Buying good quality clothing is an investment because it lasts longer.
• Situational awareness will prevent violating the 4 stupids rule because you'll be able to predict what can happen if you do. Thinking ahead is always a good thing and planning for the unexpected is even better.
• Jobs are temporary in today's world. The days of having a career with one company that lasts 40 years are long gone, so we have to be willing to learn new skills and apply what we know in new ways. A varied set of skills will also leave you more options when you're looking for a better job. I have a Commercial Driver's License (CDL) with the additional testing to carry hazardous materials. I need this for some of the fertilizers and pesticides I work with, but our fuel department lost four drivers in less than a month so I'm filling in and delivering propane to customers' houses for a few weeks. After two days, the fuel manager offered me a permanent position with a roughly 20% raise in pay. I'm thinking about it, but it's a much more physically demanding job and I'm not a young man any more.

The old saying that “Proper prior planning prevents piss-poor performance” is the heart of prepping. Having what you need, whether it's supplies, knowledge, or tribe, makes responding to life's inevitable challenges a lot easier. We're here to help you with all three.

Predator? or Prey?

In nature, most animals can be classified as predators, prey, scavengers, or parasite. People tend to exhibit some of the same behaviors of these four classes, with the addition of a fifth into which most preppers will fit. 

Predators 

Social scientists call the human predators “Type A” personalities, but I prefer a different, more colorful term that starts with the letter “A”.

Predators are always on the hunt, looking for prey. They tend to travel in packs, but the solitary ones can be just as dangerous. Some are loud and bold, others stealthy and quiet, but they're always looking for the next “meal”. 

Predators see all others as either competition or food; they don't have many other options available. Competition for “hunting grounds” between humans takes the form of politics on all levels, and often causes problems for anyone else that happens to be in the area. 

Predation comes in many forms in humans. Power over others is a common goal, money, fame, glory, and sexual gratification are a few other common goals of human predators. Predators will take what they want until they are stopped, and that is usually a terminal stop. You're not going to reason with a pack of wolves; you'll need to kill a few to get the message across. Some in the prepper community espouse the “warlord” theory, where they'll just take whatever they need when TSHTF, and these are predators.

Prey

Mainly herbivores that reproduce quickly and reach maturity at an early age, prey are generally quieter and more numerous than predators. Rabbits, mice, and deer are good examples of prey animals. 

In people, prey tend to be the ones that are unable to take care of themselves, so they're often under the control of someone else.  Children fall into this category through no fault of their own, but a good chunk of the population never advances beyond it. Prey are easy targets when alone, but in large groups they can often take down a predator since quantity has a quality of its own.

Scavengers

Scavengers are those that live on the fringes and take what they can find. In nature they are the garbage collectors that prevent carcasses from piling up; in humans they tend to be thieves, wanderers, and the homeless. 

I run into an ethical conflict on thieves: my faith tells me to not judge others, but also that stealing is wrong, so I give them the benefit of the doubt until they try to mess with my stuff. 

Wanderers are treated as guests until they decide to move on. The homeless are a mixed lot; some belong in an institution since they can't take care of themselves, but others are destitute due to circumstances beyond their control. As preppers, we can learn a lot about surviving without all of our normal conveniences by studying the scavengers.

Parasites

Parasites live off of the body of a host. They don't do anything beneficial to the host (that would be a symbiotic relationship), but instead just suck the nutrients and energy that they need from the body of the host. In nature we see the various parasites that we use water filters to remove as well as the fleas, ticks, and lice that we control with proper hygiene and sanitation. 

Human parasites are those that are all take and no give, with a few classes that have figured out that they can give back 10% of what they take in order to prolong their feeding. 

Dealing with human parasites is a harder concept, since we should have some compassion for a fellow human being. Set up “filters” to prevent parasites from entering your life, just like you'd filter water in the woods before drinking it. Removing a human parasite from your life is not easy, especially if there is a family connection, but it is necessary for your continued mental and physical health. Reclaiming your time, money, and emotional energy gives you your life back.

None of the Above

There is a fifth category that lacks a good name because it has few counterparts in animals. Neither predator nor prey, nor parasite nor scavenger, this type just wants to be left alone to live their life and has the ability to fight back if needed. They don't act like predators, but will have similar forms of weapons. The American Bison, African rhino, bees, and most of the larger primates fall into this category; they don't exclusively hunt for food and will fight back if threatened. They protect their own and are best left alone. 

In humans, the best current representation I can find is the libertarian movement: no first use of aggression, trade instead of taking, and respect for others are all good goals. However, these goals make for lousy politics since they are anathema to both predators and parasites  -- which covers most politicians at any level.

One of the ways I've heard this philosophy described is, “we just want to be left alone, or else”. Historically, groups that want to be left alone have had to deal with invasion and attack from nearby predators with varying levels of success. Before WW1, the USA was in this class for the most part, but that ended rather abruptly.

I work towards the fifth category, neither predator nor prey. I try to be as self-sufficient as possible with the ability to work with those around me to tackle the projects that I don't have the time, tools, energy, or materials to do alone. I react poorly to predators and parasites, having dealt with too many over the years.

Trust the Experts?

I think I've written before about trust and how it is one of the basic parts of any social interaction. Trust, or the lack of it, will influence how you deal with people on every level and it can be used against you. After seeing some of the nonsense being pumped out in the "news" lately, I thought it would be good to revisit this core component of human interactions.

I put the word "news" in quotation marks because all news sources are biased. Everyone has a bias or two; it doesn't matter if it's religious, racial, social status, political, or tribal, there is always going to be a hint or more of bias in any reporting. If you get your information from only one source, you're accepting the bias of that source. This can lead to what I call "intellectual incest", with results that aren't any better than those of common incest. Inbreeding has destroyed several breeds of animals, with purebred dogs and horses as good examples of the health effects of having a family shrub instead of a family tree. Don't let your flow of information suffer similar issues, but instead look for and acknowledge the bias in your sources, and look for other sources (with their own biases). Verify and check stories before you place much trust in them.

I get most of my information online now. The local paper has withered to a few pages and the TV news is controlled by the corporations that own the stations, so neither are to be trusted. Rather than hitting the sites that may agree with my opinions, I like to search out some of the foreign news organizations and a few of the "fringe" sites for information on developing stories. I can pick out the biases and glean bits of information that the US news groups won't share with us. The fringe sites are good for a laugh most days, too.

The advertising tactic of Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt (FUD) is based on undermining your trust in a competitor's product. I covered that tactic here, but the basic idea is to instill one or more of those three feelings in a consumer to sway their buying choices. Politicians use the same tactic to gain/retain power and have consultants who specialize in FUD, and polling and focus groups are how they judge the effectiveness of the consultants' work. Think of it as their version of going to the range to sight is a rifle: fire a shot or two, check the results, make adjustments, fire a few more, and repeat until you get results that make you happy.

Authority figures are important parts of influencing people. Look at the advertising and propaganda out there: anything that involves medicine will have people in white lab coats or hospital scrubs to invoke our trust in the medical professionals that we entrust with our health and lives. Titles and college degrees tacked on after a name used to show that a person had earned a level of trust, but that has been eroded over the last few decades. Religious leaders getting caught with their pants down or hands in the collection plates, medical doctors killing more people by malpractice (22,000 according to a recent Yale study) than are killed in homicides of all kinds (14,000 in 2019), and politicians just being politicians have tarnished that image of "trustworthy", but people still use authority figures to try to influence us. 

Authorities are human and will make mistakes. Many also suffer from inflated egos and a surplus of hubris, which can lead them to make proclamations outside their field of expertise. I've argued with engineers about things outside their field of study several times; just having a degree doesn't make you a god. I recall one of my earlier posts about using a 9V battery to charge a cell phone getting trashed on Facebook because some engineer didn't understand the concept of voltage regulators. Even though I did the work myself and showed all of the steps, this "authority" claimed it wouldn't work and I was wrong. It works and I have the evidence to refute this "authority".

The whole "appeal to authority" idea is so fraught with problems that is a recognized logical fallacy. Just because an "authority" claims something is true, that claim by itself is not evidence of truth. Most of us have grown past the "my mother said so" stage of debate and rely on evidence to make decisions, but there are a lot of grown-up children in the world. 

Since we can't all be experts in every field, you will need to trust others for some things. Recognize your strengths and weaknesses, look for trustworthy sources of information, and verify their claims to the best of your ability. Evidence beats experts every time in the real world.

Drama and Stress

Sometimes life throws things at us that we aren't ready for; that's one of the reasons we prep. Trying to foresee difficulties and avoid them, or at least minimize their impact on our lives, is more important than having the “right” brand of water filter or the perfect knife in your BOB. Drama, the modern word for over-reaction and exaggeration on the part of people, is one of those things we all need to be on the watch for.

Before anyone gets hurt feelings, this is not directed at anyone in particular. I've been dealing with a load of crap from family and co-workers lately that brought this to mind, so I sat and did some serious thinking about it. I've come to the conclusion that I get a lot less drama from the family that I've chosen (tribe) than from the family I was born into. 

We all have someone in our circle of people who is a “drama queen”, the one whose life is always falling apart and has to share it with anyone within earshot. Rather than work on the problem like an adult, they prefer to whine and complain and tend to make everyone around them miserable. Being an older man from a rather stoic part of the country, I have little patience for drama. I'll listen to a friend in turmoil or a stranger in need, but enabling a continuous pity party isn't going to do either of us any good. To me, problems exist to be solved, not carried around and waved about whenever someone wants attention. I'm more than willing to do what I can to help solve problems, but some people are not interested in giving up their source of attention.

One form of drama is over-reaction to and over-sharing of things that happen to us all. One of my young friends is in his teens, and after being dumped by his girlfriend his world was ending. Rather than let him fall into a pool of self-pity, I privately gave him some encouraging words and let him know that he wasn't the first to experience this. After a few days he contacted me to let me know that it helped, and while he was still hurting emotionally, it wasn't the end of the world. The saying “There's noting new under the sun” is pretty close to the truth when it comes to most human interactions. Reading histories and novels written centuries ago will show that people haven't changed all that much. This is why there are so few original movies: all of the good ideas have already been explored and made into movies, sequels, reboots, etc. This is also why so many religious organizations have rules and codes of conduct: patterns of behavior were witnessed throughout the years and the outcomes were always the same, so those behaviors with bad outcomes became “sins” to be avoided.

A second form of drama that is common is rumor and innuendo. I have very little tolerance for rumors in my life; to me, unconfirmed information is merely something that might deserve a follow-up investigation. I don't trust anything that starts with, “I heard” or “Somebody told me”; if you can't put a name to a source, it's a rumor or an attempt to slander someone. Since 90% of statements that start like that are personal attacks that will have zero effect on my life, I disregard them and refuse to pass them on. Why should I care who someone else is sleeping with unless it's my wife? I'm fairly content with my pay (if I wasn't I'd be looking for another job), so why should I care how much someone else is making? Most of our “news” is nothing but rumors, with actual facts getting reported are a fringe benefit. Rumors can damage morale more than even the worst leader regardless of the size of an organization, so watch for those who like to spread them. Those who stir the shit should have to lick the spoon.

The third type of drama is the person who feels a need to be involved in everyone else's lives. Letting others live their lives is not good enough for this type, since they know what is right and proper. Busybodies, those who have to stick their noses into everyone's business, and judgmental idiots of all stripes fit in this category.

You'll never be able to completely remove the drama from your life, but you can minimize its impact.

• Avoid the drama-makers when possible. Don't give them the chance to drag you into their world.
• Treat them like the child they're acting like. If you act like a 3 year-old, you'll get treated like a 3 year-old.
• Don't react at all,  but stay calm. If they get nothing from you, they'll be likely to seek out another target.
• Make communications simple and fact-based, and don't let them veer off into rumor.
• Offer calm advice, if any. Hyperbole is one of their tactics, so don't play by their rules.

Drama causes stress in both the initiator and the recipient. None of us need more stress in our lives, so minimizing the amount of drama that you have to deal with is a form of self-preservation.

Doxxing Prep

Doxxing, or "dropping docs", is a fairly new threat, which started to become common in the 1990s and has evolved into an everyday occurrence today. Put simply, doxxing is digging up and releasing private information on a person as a form of threat, punishment, or revenge. 

We all have skeletons in our closets. Nobody is perfect; mistakes and poor judgement is part of being human. If you do or say something that offends another person, which is almost a given in today's cultural climate, you run the risk of having your personal information published. Blackmail is another popular option, something usually reserved for those with money or public opinion to lose. Revenge is as old as history and has countless causes. 

Be Prepared for Doxxing
 you have to take stock of your skeletons and decide if they are big enough to have a serious impact on your life if they are paraded in public. This is becoming more difficult because the perpetually offended are digging deeper and searching for anything that their target may have done at any point in their life. The causes of offence are also morphing into some truly bizarre stretches of reality; things that were innocuous 40 years ago are enough to ruin a career today. Certain words and activities are now "forbidden" even though they were in common use in recent history. 

Make the Doxxer's Job Harder

• Watch what you post on the internet, because it's extremely difficult to delete anything once published online.
• Modify what you share publicly and privately. Your friends are less likely to share personal information than a random person in your neighborhood group or page. 
• Choose your social media with care. Research their security and privacy policies. Remember that if you're not paying for a service, you're not the customer; rather, you're the product being sold. Ad revenue pays for most social media, so personal information is what they gather.
• Stop doing stupid things. This is to reduce future exposure, but some people think they're special and can get away with things. Unless they're major politicians, it doesn't work that way

What If You're Targeted?

If you become the target of doxxing, your options are limited.

• Fight back. Doxxing the doxxer is a valid reaction, but they can be hard to track down. They also are likely to have less to lose, so it may not have much effect.
• If the doxxer is a public figure, get a lawyer involved. You won't be able to delete anything they said or printed, but you might be able to hurt them enough financially that they stop.
• Ignore it. If a perpetually offended idiot digs up a speeding ticket you got 20 years ago and tries to make it a hanging offence, smile and go about your life.
• Ridicule can work if the doxxer has a sense of shame. This is becoming more rare since society is moving towards an "anything goes" mentality; a society where there are no sins will have no sense of shame. 

It's up to you to decide if doxxing is a serious threat to you. Our circumstances are all different, so take some time for self-reflection.

Diversity

I know that the word “Diversity” has negative connotations is some circles, but it is a good concept for preppers to consider. I'm not talking about setting quotas on who you associate with; I'm thinking of a more basic concept of “not having all of your eggs in one basket”.

Five or so years ago I wrote a brief article on the basics of farming. I mentioned that monoculture farming was becoming the norm, and that it has the potential for becoming a disaster if a disease or pest affects a significant portion of the crops. The Irish potato blight is an example of monoculture farming gone bad: a fungal infection ruined several years' harvests because everyone was planting the same crop, most of it from the same seed supply. There were political and social aspects of the blight, but the lack of diversity in the food supply was a major cause of a lot of misery and disruption.

Avian flu, mad cow disease, swine flu, and a variety of other diseases have swept through regions and countries, wiping out entire herds of animals being raised for food. Modern transportation means we can move food around to replace those losses, but it also makes it easier for the diseases to spread. Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is an on-going threat to cattle and deer, with no cure and limited methods of prevention. Culling herds by killing any animal that may be infected is often the only way to stop the spread.

Current farming practices minimize the possibility of a recurrence of a disaster on that scale but can't totally eliminate it. Locally we're dealing with several invasive species of pests for which we still don't have a chemical solution, and the crops are suffering because of them. In harsh times we won't have access to all of our modern remedies, and crops/herds may fail completely.

Diversification in growing food means planting different types of crops, or raising different types of animals, to provide multiple sources of nutrition. If you're planning on growing your own food, or at least a majority of it, don't base your plans on just one crop. Yes, it's easier to tend to a larger field of all one crop, but if you lose it you have lost everything. Planting corn, potatoes, cereal grains (wheat, oats, barley, etc.) for a source of carbohydrates and also planting beans, peas, nuts, and hemp as sources of protein is a good example of diversifying your nutritional sources. Look at the pictures and plans for the gardens of ages past, and you'll see that the people who had to live off of the fruits of their own land tended to plant a varied mix of things to provide variety and reliability to their diet.

Diversity can also be seen in other areas of prepping:

• There are very few places where one set or type of clothes will be suitable for the entire year. Having a mix of clothes gives you the options to blend your apparel to meet the demands of the season.
• A prepper's library should be as diverse as possible. Reference books on fields of study that you have no interest in could be invaluable if you need to learn that field. Being able to share knowledge and pass it on to future generations requires a balanced library, you're going to need basic books to get people up to a point where they can understand the advanced ones.
• Learning and study methods vary, you'll likely need to check out several different sources to find the ones that fit your personality. I'm one of those odd people who can read about a subject and grasp the concepts, but I know a lot of people who have to have hands-on experience before anything sinks in. Explaining a new or complex situation can often take several tries from several different approaches, so diversify your teaching methods.
• Diversification is also key to fighting one of the worst things a human can have to endure: boredom. Bored people have time to get into (or make) trouble. Diversity of activities keeps the minds and hands busy, reducing the amount of time and reasons for trouble. Bored people complain and try to spread their misery, those of us who have or have had kids know this well, and adults are often worse than children.
• Genetic diversity is a touchy field. It's okay to talk about it when dealing with crops and herds, but if you try to include humans you're likely to stir up tribal animosity and anger. I'm not going to get into “racial purity” or “miscegenation” debates, because all you have to do is look at the ruling families of Europe for the last few centuries and you can see that inbreeding is a bad thing. Inter-tribal marriages and “war brides” have been a way to ensure that “fresh blood” is injected into a gene pool once in a while for as long as humans have been walking this Earth. The research varies, but there is an absolute minimum number of unrelated animals required to reproduce without genetic defects. Livestock producers have been tracking bloodlines of their animals for centuries for this reason, which is how we have “thoroughbred” horses.

There are many other examples where diversity isn't always a bad word, but I think you get the idea. Remember to plan to mix things up once in a while to keep life moving forward.

Tactical vs Tacticool

With all of the antics in the news lately, we're seeing several groups of armed and “armored” people showing up at various protests, demonstrations, town hall meetings, and plain old riots. The noisy ones with bullhorns and signs are there for attention, essentially throwing a tantrum and (in my opinion) should be treated like the toddlers that they're acting like. The quiet ones standing guard over a store or church are the serious ones, the ones ready to mete out violent action if lines get crossed.

One of my strongest suggestions for any prepper is “Stay away from crowds”. Mob mentality is a tricky thing, and crowds are rarely a good place to be when emotions get cranked up. Staying away from trouble is normally easier than responding to it, so avoid as much of the turmoil as you can, but there may come a time when you decide to draw your own line in the sand and defend what is yours.

Many of the pictures and videos of the “protesters” that show up armed are subject to scrutiny from those who have carried arms in a war zone. The opinions of people who have relied on their equipment to stay alive are usually worth listening to, so I pay attention. Here are a few of the things I've picked up over the years.

Paintball/Airsoft

While useful for team training, both of these sports teach bad habits. Since “practice makes permanent”, if you practice wrong you'll do it wrong when SHTF.

Paintballs and Airsoft pellets are both stopped by light foliage and other concealment, but real bullets will go right through them. Concealment is not the same as cover.

Many of the “guns” used in paintball and Airsoft are modeled after real guns. The accessories, like optics, stocks, and slings are interchangeable, but most of the stuff made for Airsoft is not sturdy enough to be used on a real weapon. The weight and recoil of a real weapon will quickly show that cheaper is not always better.

Made in China

I try to not be too nationalistic, but a lot of the crap coming out of factories in China should never be relied upon. It may look just like the “real deal”, but the materials and construction quality is never as good. There are reasons for the military requiring their supplies be sourced from reputable countries, and China is not on that list. Lowest price isn't always the main thing to look for, especially in something that you're betting your life on.

Ageism

The current crop of veterans use or used equipment that is completely different that what I carried when I was on active duty. I'm comfortable with the old-school Load Bearing Equipment (LBE) of either the H-type or Y-type harness and heavy pistol belt, but that has been replaced by pouches on the “plate carrier” vest that is issued now. The old equipment still works; it just doesn't offer the protection against bullets and fragments. My old gear still works for me and I know how to use it.

The selection of firearms is also subject to ageism. I trained on a 1970s vintage M16A1 with triangular fore-grips and integral carry handle, and I see people laughing at that style of rifle now because it's not “tactical” enough. There's an old saying that fits here: “Beware the man who only owns one gun. He probably know how to use it.” The same is found with the 1911A1 pistols that I carried once in a while on active duty, but at least that platform is still around and respected.

Tacticool

I'd wager that not one in a hundred of our readers is a former SEAL, Green Beret, or other Special Forces veteran. There may be a few former Infantry and Riflemen out there, but most of us aren't trained to that level. Those who have been trained in those skills probably aren't in the same physical shape as they were when they were on active duty. Having toys doesn't replace training, which is something that a lot of younger folks don't seem to grasp. Call of Duty and the other war games don't prepare you for real life, I'm sorry to say, so spending a paycheck or two on vertical pistol grips, high-powered lights, lasers, and other toys commonly seen on “tacticool” guns isn't going to help you unless you get real-world training.

Some of the people I have seen pictures of at “protests” are in pure cosplay mode. Most of them couldn't tell you what half of the crap on their rifle is supposed to do, and there are rumors that some of them are nothing more than paid actors put in place to further inflame the situation. These people are more dangerous to themselves than anyone else, with the exception of possible negligent discharges due to their lack of training.

Ballistic Vests/Plate Carriers

There is a time and place for wearing your bullet-stopping outerwear, but it's usually easier to avoid such opportunities. Static defensive positions, expecting heavy assault, or patrolling areas with known shooters come to mind. If you're expecting to come under fire while at a protest, I'd rethink going.

Unless you're buying quality surplus or current-issue gear, you're not getting your money's worth of protection. The ballistic plates themselves are expensive, but a carrier without them is nothing more than a glorified vest with lots of pockets. Police-issue vests are bulky and uncomfortable (although they've gotten better over the years) and the military-issue gear is heavy, bulky, and hot to wear. If you're thinking about spending the money on either type, make sure you train while wearing it, as the added bulk will change how you shoulder a long gun and the extra weight will cut down on your speed and endurance. I'm not a young man any more, so I'll pass on anything that is going to slow me down even more.

Know your gear, train with it, and don't waste your money on “cool” toys that aren't going to help you be more proficient. Keep an eye out for the Tacticool Fools, though: you might be able to pick up some ammo after they've dropped everything and run.

Rewriting History

Many of you who have read this blog for a while may have noticed that I am a fan of history. I see no good reason to “reinvent the wheel” when I run into a problem or foresee a possible hardship; humans have been dealing with such things for thousands of years, and they've tried a lot of different ways of getting around them. Even before we invented writing, we had oral history passed down from one generation to the next in the forms of songs and poems that were easier to remember than prose. Not everything they tried has worked out well (there has been a lot of trial and error over the years), but we should be able to learn from the mistakes of others and move ahead to make our own, new, mistakes. 

The last few generations of “important” people have been working hard to rewrite or erase history. I don't care what their reasons are; they all think that they are wiser than our predecessors and that by ignoring the lessons of the past they can make the world a better place (for them). Time passes and their immodesty eventually bites them in the ass, but they do a lot of damage and ruin a lot of lives before they are exposed as just another flawed human being who should have never been given any power over others. I'm not talking about politics -- this goes much deeper than the elected idiots -- I'm trying to point out that leaders at all levels can be guilty of this. Have you ever had a new boss “clean house” and get rid of every sign that there was a former boss?

Carlos Santayana was right when he said“Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it”. Winston Churchill paraphrased that as, “Those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it”, which shifts the action from passive “cannot remember” to the more active “fail to learn”. This idea, the rewriting of history to make it match the current events, was one of the main parts of Orwell's 1984. The push to eliminate parts of history is a way to keep future generations from being able to learn from the mistakes of others in order to provide a path for those mistakes to be repeated.

If you dig into history deep enough, you'll find that this, too, is nothing new. Erasing the acts (good, bad, or indifferent) of preceding leaders or generations is a way to make oneself seem better or more intelligent when you trot out the same, often failed, solution to a recurring problem. Ancient leaders would deface or destroy statues of previous leaders (sound familiar?), scribes would be instructed to remove all mention of predecessors when they copied texts (compare textbooks from today with those written 20 years ago), and religions have been especially atrocious in destroying anything that contradicts the “new” faith.

Do what you can to preserve history. I collect old books and pass on the knowledge that I have gained as a way to keep some part of the past alive. The old man and his “back in my day...” stories may be funny, but if you find yourself in a situation that resembles life when he was younger, those stories may give you some hints about how to get through it. Read more history, and pass along the lessons that we have learned over the years. Resist the idiots that are trying to “remake” our world into their version of paradise. Remember that the people who are willing to burn books usually end up burning people, and treat them accordingly.

Water, food, shelter, companionship: these are all basic necessities to human life and that hasn't changed. Learning how your ancestors provided those things and then applying a dose of modern technology and common sense is a good way to grow as a prepper. There truly is very little new under the sun; it's just new to us and we need to find a way to deal with those new things. Our ancestors may have a clue or two for us.

Perfect Enough

The title of this article is one of the sayings soldiers once used to determine that a job was done: "It may not be perfect, but it is close enough that it will work." This is an acceptable goal for preppers since most of us aren't experts in everything and don't have unlimited money to buy the very best of everything we might need.

Another way to express this thought is “Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good”. If you can't settle for anything other than perfection, you're going to spend a lot of your life being disappointed. Life doesn't always allow for perfection, and the pursuit of it can lead to results that are worse than “good enough”. Talk to any artist who works with a physical medium (painter, sculptor, woodworker, etc.) and they'll probably tell you that they have to set down their tools before they're completely satisfied with most of their work. There comes a time where any more “fine touches” will start to chew away at the majority of the work they've already done. I know this may be hard for some of you, but you have to get your mind set to accept that if something works, it's good enough.

Here are a few examples of what I mean, as they pertain to prepping.

Water

Perfect water doesn't exist outside of a chemistry lab, so you're drinking “good enough” water on a daily basis. Your choice of filter or chemical treatment has to be as good as you can get it, but trying to attain perfection will slow you down and may end up wasting water that is good enough to keep a person alive.

Most filtration systems have a back-flush or cleaning cycle that takes clean water and uses it to purge the contaminants from the filter. Your home water softener is an example; it uses water to recharge the resin in the “bed” that traps the nasty chemicals you're trying to remove. Reverse Osmosis and Micro-filtration have a set percentage of “blow-by” water that won't pass through the membranes and is used to carry away the contaminants, and that water is wasted because it won't be available for you to drink or cook with.

Food

Stop and talk to the people stocking the produce section of your local grocery store some time, and they'll tell you how much they throw away every day because of minor imperfections that have no effect on the taste or nutrition of the fruits and vegetables. If you're growing your own food, you'll be a lot less picky about what you'll put on the table, and the people sitting at your table will learn to eat what is put in front of them.

Shelter

A lot of people would prefer to live in a mansion in Hollywood with servants and groundskeepers to do all of the menial work. That may be possible, but it isn't probable for 99% of the population. Find something that is “good enough” and falls within your budget.

Emergency shelter is similar. I have friends who might go “glamping” (glamorous camping) with a huge camper outfitted better than most apartments, but they wouldn't know what to do with a tent. As long as the shelter serves its purpose of keeping the elements off of you and your stuff, it's “good enough”. I've slept in 4-star hotels, on the bare dirt under a tarp, and everything in between. Shelter is one of the things that can be improved while still in use, so you can keep pushing closer to “perfect” while you're living with “good enough”.

Firearms

While I'd love to have a rifle capable of putting every bullet into the bullseye at 1000 yards, I realize that neither my budget nor my eyes are up to the task. My bolt-action rifle with a good scope is more accurate than I am, so it is “good enough”. Yes there are better rifles out there, but I don't need them.

Pistols are a very subjective choice, so the idea of a “perfect” pistol is a fallacy. I own and carry what I can afford to shoot. Practice will make more improvement than buying a more expensive pistol.

Only you can decide which firearm is best for you. If all you can afford is a cheap revolver or Hi-Point, learn how to use it well and it should serve its purposes. I'm not saying you have to settle for something that doesn't work -- there is crap out there on the market, after all -- but rather that once you find one that does work, you should at least be content with it before looking for the next best thing.

Look at your preps and your goals, take a good look at them, and decide which are good enough. Then, leave those alone while you work on another part that isn't quite up to that standard. Don't waste time and money chasing perfection in one area while others are lacking.

Redundancy

One of the most basic things about being a prepper is learning how to provide for yourself and your tribe when normal systems break down or are unavailable. Systems are funny things, and there are college-level courses on “proper” systems design and most of the concepts transfer between types of systems quite easily. I want to focus on one of the things that modern designers hate, fear, and avoid: redundancy. You've probably heard the aphorism “Two is one and one is none”; David is a big fan of repeating it. Having a back-up for anything you use is redundancy boiled down to its bare minimum.

Preppers have to work with what they have in a crisis situation, so redundancy is a good thing for us. If your knife breaks, you lose a job, or get stuck somewhere, you should have something handy that can provide the same functionality like a spare knife, money in the bank (or a side job), and people you can trust to feed your cat. These are all forms of redundancy that we can, and should, live with. I like redundancy, and I've made it a part of my life as having spares and back-ups has saved me a lot of hassle over the years. I try to keep at least two of everything... except for my wife, of course. 

However, I'm a bother to management when I ask for redundancy in critical machinery, as corporate HQ views having unused capacity is “wasteful” and we should all “do more with less”. That is what they were taught in Business Management 101, and they rarely learn to think otherwise.

The “just in time (JIT) supply” ideology was introduced to the US about 40 years ago and it has changed the way businesses operate on many levels. The easiest way to explain it is running as business like someone living paycheck to paycheck, and they're only one missed check away from trouble. This business style is notable for its disdain for redundancy and storage, and supply lines are the only thing that keeps it alive. Here are a few JIT points of interest and how they can be avoided by preppers.

They Say: “Warehouses are Bad, Wasteful, and Expensive” 

The days of massive warehouses full of goods are over for the most part. With the exceptions of seasonally produced goods (mainly agricultural), nobody stocks more than a few days' supply of anything. I've seen a new manager clear out a warehouse full of spare parts at a huge industrial facility (and got promoted for it) because she thought it was wasteful” to have spare motors, pumps, and valves on-site; within a year, half of the cleared-out materials had to be repurchased and put back on the shelves. Various government stockpiles have seen the same actions taken, especially emergency supplies. Selling (at a loss) something you've already paid for just to buy it again later at a higher price seems to be more wasteful to me, but then I don't have a degree in Business Management.

I Say: Be Your Own Warehouse
Your only counter to this is to have your own supplies on hand when they're needed. We have to be our own warehouses, and for preppers that means keeping extra food, water, clothing, and shelter on hand. Storage space can be a problem, so we need to learn to prioritize and keep what we need.

They Say: “Rapid Shipping is a Necessity” 

I enjoy using FedEx and UPS; they make my life simpler and provide a service. There are lots of other shipping companies out there that couldn't survive without the constant demand for immediate shipping of “operating supplies”, the things consumed on a daily basis. This is often the weakest link in the supply chain due to the many ways transportation can get messed up: bad weather, bad roads, bad drivers, and a bunch of other things can all delay shipments for days or weeks. Getting the wrong thing delivered is another common problem.

I Say: Have a Back-Up Plan

If you rely on regular shipments of anything, medications come to mind, have a back-up plan. We get some of our prescriptions filled online and shipped overnight/express, but the local pharmacy has a copy of the prescriptions and can fill them in an emergency. There have been a few times where an extra few days' worth were all we could get locally, but it helped get us through until the order arrived.

They Say: “24/7 Operations Are Now Normal” 

40 hour/5 day weeks are fading into the sunset and most businesses are moving towards having at least a skeleton crew working around the clock to take care of the inevitable emergency customers. Since nobody carries their own stock of supplies, running out of something creates an emergency that needs to be addressed. This, coupled with the digital connectivity afforded by cell phones and computers, has changed how most people work.

I Say: Train Your Tribe To Cover For Each Other

Since I'm one of those “on-call” employees that works whatever hours the customers need, I've set aside times where I'm not available. It took some training of the new hires, but I can now rely on them in the event that something prevents me from getting to work. This allows me peace of mind and gives me time to take care of personal things.

Cross-train your tribe to take the pressure off of each other by having redundant skills. Think about how you'll deal with situations such as having to work different hours or your normal contacts stop offering 24/7 service. I'm somewhat lucky to live in a small town with only one cafe (no stores) that is open 24 hours a day; it's forced me to plan ahead more since I don't have the option of running down to the all-night grocery store if I run out of milk.

They Say: “Central Planning & Projection is a High Priority” 

This is a philosophical and political issue. Is it more efficient and better to have local control over things, or central? The central planners get more power/control over their subordinates (it's a pathological thing for some folks), but local conditions are often ignored. This is not a new issue; America has struggled with it for as long as we've been a country and businesses have fought over it in the marketplace (check out the DC vs. AC, Edison vs. Westinghouse electricity competition of a hundred years ago). 

I Say: Prepare Locally

I'm not a supporter of central planning; it fails too often, and when it fails it impacts a large number of people. Look at most of the laws written in our state capitols and Washington, DC: the people writing them can't (or won't) plan for all of the possibilities over a large area, and we get poor laws as a result. If you want another example, Soviet-era Russia is a study in the failure of central planning.

Prepping is about as “local” as you can get. If you want to see how well central planning works for localities, just read some recent history of “emergency response” by our various government agencies. Organizations that large move very slowly, which is why FEMA tells us to have our own 72 hour kits. Make your own plans and set aside your own supplies.

Redundancy gives you options, and options give you a better chance of getting through a crisis. Look at your daily activities and see where a bit of redundancy can be implemented to help you be prepared; look for that weakest link, and find a way to replace it if it should snap.

Slow Down, Don't Panic

In times of crisis, panic is one of your main enemies. I covered what panic is about 18 months ago so I won't redefine it, but I do want to talk a bit more about its effects and ways to remedy it.

Panic is natural, and it makes us do stupid things. Marketers learned a long time ago that fear, uncertainty, and doubt were powerful tools to get people to spend money, and panic-buying is all three of them wrapped up in a single bundle. Panic-buying creates artificial (and unnecessary) shortages that create more panic-buying, leading to empty shelves and price-gouging. I've seen price-gouging occur at the mere threat of an earthquake (for example, $2.00 wrenches marked “gas shut-off valve wrenches” and sold for $10.00), a disease outbreak (N95 mask that I sell for $1.50 priced at $5.00 or more), and snow storms (generators sell out fast if the weather-geeks start using the word “blizzard”).

Politicians may not be marketers, but they do hire them. Normally sane people will allow horrendous restrictions of their rights if a politician can get them to panic over something. If you're a fan of history you'll be able to pick out a dozen or more examples of this in the last few hundred years alone. It's a form of “crisis management” wherein they create a crisis so the people will beg them to manage it on behalf of the public. 

Being able to confront an emergency without letting panic take over requires training, practice (or experience), or a mental defect.

• Proper training can (but not always will) lessen the shock of an emergency situation. If you know how to bandage a wound or splint a broken limb, the sight of blood or a crooked arm isn't as likely to instill a panic response. You may still be a but unsure about the situation, but your training should give you the confidence to do the best you can and get through it. The “confidence chamber”, AKA the gas chamber that the military uses to expose trainees to tear gas, instills a sense of confidence in their equipment and training. It also teaches them that while unpleasant, tear gas is not lethal and it shouldn't evoke a panic reaction.
• Practice is a follow-on to training. I like to remind folks that the old saying “practice makes perfect” is wrong; “practice makes permanent” is closer to the truth, because if you practice something wrong then you'll do it wrong when it's needed. 
• Experience is having done it before, which should remove some of the mystery and “unnaturalness” of a situation. I've dealt with minor wounds on myself and others for most of my life, so seeing a cut, gash, or puncture isn't going to cause panic as it's nothing new to me. The same goes for first responders who witness a car crash or fire; they may move quickly, but with purpose because they've seen it before.
• Mental defects are a bit touchier. Certain types of sociopaths and psychopaths don't see people or animals as living beings, but rather as objects. Bad things happening to “objects” doesn't set off panic, or really any other emotional response, to those with these forms of messed-up brains. It makes no difference if it's a matter of bad wiring, chemistry, or spiritual defect, some people just aren't right in the head. It should be noted that this sort of reaction can also be learned or ingrained. Long-term abuse and some forms of PTSD can “burn out” the normal ability to panic, causing unusual responses to emergencies.

The main remedies for panic are pretty basic:

• Slow down. Don't rush, or allow yourself to be rushed by others, into making decisions unless there is an immediate danger to life or health (IDLH in safety-geek). Even if there is a major threat, slow down and take things one step at a time. Gather as much information as you can before making big decisions.
• Step back. This is often an instinctive reaction, and it works. When confronted with something unusual, people tend to take a step or two backwards. We're wired that way to put distance between us and danger, but it also gives us a chance to look at the whole scene and make better judgments. Removing ourselves from the immediate danger gives us a chance to view things from a less personal level and that will often lead to better decisions.
• Prepare ahead of time. I'm hoping that is one of the reasons you're reading this blog. Having redundant systems in place to take care of the necessities of life removes or reduces the opportunities to panic. For example, if you have a spare tire for your car, a flat tire is merely an inconvenience instead of an emergency. If you have the tools and training to deal with an emergency, panic is a lot less likely, and even if it does kick in it will be short-lived. Having sufficient supplies on hand also means you will avoid the costs of panic-buying and artificial shortages. The recent run on toilet paper, several instances of ammunition shortages in the last few decades, and various fuel price spikes can all be ignored if you have your own supplies laid in before the masses go berserk. Furthermore, the “I got this” mentality is very powerful and can delay or halt panic in others, and not having to deal with panic in others will free up your time to deal with other issues while also avoiding further panic. 
• Avoid the panic. One of the blogs I read every week uses the phrase “stay away from crowds” a lot. It makes sense on many levels, but crowds will panic as fast as the fastest person in them. Think of it as a weakest link situation: the one person who panics can set off a chain reaction in the rest of the crowd. Large groups of people are dangerous on a good day, but add a dose of panic and you get people killed by being trampled by the herd as they flee.

Take care of yourselves and your tribe in the weird times we're living in, because nobody else is going to step in and do it for you without a price that you'll regret later.

Little Things Add Up

A lot of the ads that I see in the prepper magazines and online offer food and other supplies in large quantities. The common “year's supply” of food for one person starts at around $1000 and there is no upper limit. I'm seeing a year's worth of MREs going for $5-10,000 depending on the vendor.

Shelter is often sold the same way; tents are still fairly cheap, but buying/building a cabin or underground shelter starts to get into the “second home” price range. Folks around here that live in a flood plain (which means they have no basements) have been buying tornado shelters that sit in their garages. These are essentially a concrete box with a heavy door and which cost as much as a good used car. Getting pricing is difficult due to the costs of shipping and varying local codes and conditions, but I've seen reports on underground concrete bomb shelters that cost $100,000 and up. Around here, $100k will get you a starter home in a small community.

Firearms are another field where every “expert” has his/her ideal combination of “required” guns that everyone should own. A quality handgun, shotgun, and rifle combo will start at around $1500 and again, there is no upper limit.

This form of sticker shock can be daunting to new preppers. Being expected to shell out large sums of money that they don't have is one of the more common replies I get when I ask friends why they don't prepare more. If all you read is the ads, prepping looks too expensive for a lot of people, but that's not the case. There's no reason anyone should be expected to pay out a year's wages just to get the basics covered. If you have an extra $100k laying around and can spend it on preparation, more power to you, but you're in the minority; most of us have to take another route.

It's been stated that anything can be built given enough time, money, and manpower, and that a shortage of any one of those three can usually be made up for by increasing the other two. A prime example is the Burma Road project of 1937-38, when the decision was made to build a road from British-held Burma through the lower end of the Himalayas into China to supply Chinese troops fighting the Imperial Japanese Army shortly before WW2. 200,000 laborers built 717 miles of road through mountainous terrain in less than two years, mostly by hand. Time was short, but manpower was plentiful and money was available, so two of the three made it possible. Building up your supplies can be accomplished in the same manner.

If you don't have the money, invest your time and manpower. Repairing/modifying your gear, preserving your own food, and building your own shelter are three good examples of this. I know that canning and drying your own food allows people with food allergies the option of having stored food since very little to none of the commercially produced stuff completely is free of gluten, soy, dairy, or nuts. Storm shelters can be built by hand with a small crew a lot cheaper than having a precast box delivered, but it will take a lot more time.

If you have the time to do the research and money is coming in slowly (I know people with a “preps” line in their monthly budget), start small and trade up to what you want. I have a friend who really wanted a top-end 1911A1 pistol, but couldn't afford the $3000 price tag. He started by buying a cheaper, polymer-framed pistol in .45ACP and as his budget allowed, he traded it for a lower-priced 1911A1. After three or four more trades he eventually got the pistol that he wanted, but it took him a couple of years and he probably spent a bit more that the $3000 due to losses in trade value. At no time was he ever without a serviceable pistol, and he didn't have to go into debt to get the one he really wanted, both of which were important to him.

If time is short, getting what you want is going to be expensive. If you've ever been around when a natural disaster strikes, you'll know all about the price-gouging and profiteering that happens with essentials like water, fuel, and generators. It's human nature, and the law of supply and demand is about as flexible as the law of gravity. Manpower can mitigate this a bit if you have the bodies available to seek out smaller supplies at more reasonable prices.

If you're alone or working with a small team, money will make things happen faster but time is usually what gets spent. I could spend thousands of dollars to stockpile ammunition for the various firearms I own, but I prefer to spend a couple of hundred to buy the equipment and supplies to reload. Spent brass is cheap (or free), and the components cost about 25% of what store-bought ammo does. I can also tailor my ammo for specific guns, increasing my accuracy which means more efficient hunting.

Don't let the lists and big price tags scare you away from getting better prepared. Break things down into smaller, more manageable pieces and take them on one at a time. The old joke about “How do you eat an elephant?” applies: One bite at a time.

Prudent Prepping: Thanks Giving

The dust has settled and the First 72 Hours have passed. Follow along as I build a long term plan via Prudent Prepping.

Corny or not, this is a good time for reflecting on all the good things that have happened to me and all the good people I have in my life.

THANKS
Some names listed here don't read this blog, but many do. Some have reasons listed, but many don't and that's okay too.

In no particular order or importance:

• I am very thankful to be on Blue Collar Prepping with this group of writers. I'm always excited to read what is put up. I count you as friends.
• I am extremely thankful for Erin Palette and her very patient work to make my writing readable.
• Evelyn and D.R. for the couch and mail box.
• Darryl, Sean and Jonathan for answering questions that clarified much.
• John and Ella for being such a good fit. He got lucky!
• Shane, Jenn and Cassie for the dinner invites and for how mad you get when I bring things!
• Bubba. Sir! Yes Sir!
• Jason Rennie for the free books. Like my To Be Read pile wasn't large enough.
• Mark for signing my books, for my first Red Shirting, and for writing in such a cool universe.
• Rick for shipping me an OOP copy of a book AND signing everything!
• MadMike for OOP books and signing them, as well as the commentary on Facebook and the blog.
• The ILoH Larry Corriea for putting out so many great books and hysterical fisks.
• The Mata family for all the prayers sent to me. Gihigugma tamo tanan.
• Janelle and Don. Thanks for the quiet.
• Myeong
• Liza
• Susan Lee for calling me 'DB'.
• Kitty and The Kid, I WILL touch the iPad!
• Van and all the Saturday group. Being 外人 is fun!

I am especially thankful for all the new friends I've made this year, and for all the people who have commented on my writing offering corrections and praise. Thank you.

I could go on all night and even then I'd miss someone, so if you aren't here, please know you are memorable to me.

Thank you.

GIVING
I really went through my stores and stripped out a bunch more stuff that wasn't close to outdated to make room for incoming goodies. I still have a good three-day supply in each bucket, but now the duplicated items are gone. 

I spent $10 extra this week at the grocery store on food to go in the Food Drive barrels. I also wrote a check to the Food Bank for a turkey.

I don't have a picture to show my progress, but I didn't make it to the end of the month for Movember; my beard was just way too itchy to last. Everyone said the third week would be less scratchy, but I couldn't stand it. Regardless, $25 dollars that I would have spent on a haircut and shaving went to Prostate Cancer research instead. 

The Takeaway

• I hope I am as good a friend back to the people who call me Friend. 
• If not, I will try harder.

The Recap

• A donation of $25 to support men's health and Prostate Cancer research.
• A total of $30 in food and cash to my local Food Bank.

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 in exchange for a favorable review. Any items sent to me for T&E will be listed as such. Suck it Feds.

Panic

The word “panic” comes from the name of the Greek god Pan, the god of the woods and fields, and the entity responsible for making mysterious noises that would spook herds of animals and scare people in lonely places. The dictionary definition of “panic” is a sudden overwhelming fear, with or without cause, that produces hysterical or irrational behavior, and that often spreads quickly through a group of persons or animals.

Let's break that down and look at the individual parts and how to counteract them where possible.

Sudden

People don't plan to panic; it's a flight response to something that their minds either can't comprehend or is perceived as a threat. I've seen people panic when they can't find their child in a store, misplace or lose something of great value, or just plain get scared out of their wits. Panic hits quickly, and there is very little warning.

Situational awareness will prevent a lot of the causes of panic: if you know what's going on around you, it's less likely that something will appear suddenly. Organize your things and control your offspring.

Overwhelming

Panic takes over a person's thought processes, hindering or preventing logical thought. The instinct to flee danger is hardwired into us, and isn't something that's easy to turn off once triggered.

Unfortunately, the only two ways I know to break a panic spell are to wait until it passes or have an external source of control impose order into the situation. Talking a friend down from a panic attack is never fun, but it's something we should be prepared to do. You can be the source of control that they need. Laughing about it later is a choice you'll have to make based on your level of friendship.

With or Without Cause

Panic with cause is natural; panic without cause is an anxiety disorder. The natural forms of panic are easy to identify after the fact, and may even be predictable in some cases. I'm not a psychologist or doctor, so I won't try to diagnose a mental disorder.

Anxiety disorders are treated with anti-anxiety medications. Most of them have side effects that should be carefully considered and discussed with the doctor who prescribes them. They are also one of the classes of medications that you don't want to stop taking suddenly.

The “with cause” forms of panic are best countered by avoiding, or at least being aware of, what may trigger them. Situational awareness is a good defense, as is a healthy self-knowledge.

Irrational Behavior

This is where panic can become dangerous. The word “hysterical” is out of fashion, since it originally referred to women and the emotional roller-coaster they endure during menstruation, so I'll stick with “irrational”. Irrational means without a rational basis; in other words, mindless. Irrational behavior can mean running towards a greater danger or freezing in the path of oncoming danger.

Strength of will is the only way I know of to fight irrational behavior. You have to be in control of yourself and know how to think things through under stress. Recognizing the first tinge of panic and telling yourself, “No, I will not let this take control of me” is difficult, but necessary.

Spreads Quickly

Panic is highly contagious. The more homogeneous the group, the faster panic can spread because of shared cultural and personal biases. Financial panics are a good example: a large group of people who all deal with the same products and processes, and who communicate in many ways, is very susceptible to the spread of panic. If one person panics, another one will see their actions and likely panic as well, causing a chain reaction of irrational behavior. Natural and man-made disasters that affect large groups are perfect triggers for mass panic, especially when routes of escape are limited or blocked: fire in a crowded building, rumors in a refugee camp, and unlocking the doors of a store on Black Friday are all examples of things that can trigger a crowd into a panic.

The easiest way to avoid the spread of panic is to avoid crowds. If you can't avoid a crowd, always know where the exits are and position yourself near one. If you see a panic starting, get away as quickly as you can. By definition, irrational people will hurt you without thinking about it, so get clear by any means available.

Absent an underlying anxiety disorder, most people only panic when they are abruptly presented with something that is foreign to their lives, or if they get caught up in a “herd” mentality and someone else panics.

To prevent panic:

1. Know yourself and your surroundings.
2. Think about what could go wrong and plan accordingly.
3. Have a backup plan. 

These are all part and parcel of being a prepper, and will keep you a bit safer during a panic.