Saturday, March 3, 2012

Disasters, Depressions, and Doomsday – Oh My! Are You Prepared?

You were excited when you read this post title, weren't you? You thought I was about to get all wacko on you. Sorry to disappoint, but this post is really just about the importance of prudent preparation when you have a family to support.

My husband is a rugged, Man vs Wild type of guy who loves all things outdoors – camping, hiking, hunting, fishing, and anything else that involves him exercising his masculinity. It’s kind of hot, really. (I mean, have you seen Bear Grylls?)
family camping trip
Going along with all of that, he loves learning about survival skills, emergency preparedness, living off the land, and things of that nature. He’s not a 'Doomsday Prepper' – he simply recognizes the value of self-sufficiency, especially in an unstable economy.

Don't worry - I occasionally give him a hard time about it (and call him Doomy McGloomerson), but the truth is I know my kids have a daddy who does all he can to protect them. And that's what's so attractive about it - he makes us feel safe and protected. 

I think most people write off the prepared folks as ‘cuckoo-for-cocoa-puffs’ because it feels much safer than facing reality: disasters happen. You don’t have to be a hardcore ‘Doomsday Prepper’  (because, let’s face it, if you find yourself in the middle of a nuclear war, there’s not a lot you can do to keep from growing a third arm), but it certainly couldn’t hurt to prepare your family for an environmental or economic disaster.

Have you ever thought about what you would do if you were faced with a sudden disaster? If you couldn’t get to the grocery store? Or the gas station? If you temporarily couldn’t access your bank account?

Do you have enough food and water stored up to last a while? It probably takes more than you think.

Here’s the thing: in an emergency situation, you absolutely cannot count on the government to provide for your family’s needs in a timely manner (two words: Hurricane Katrina). Self-reliance is the key.

I never want to find myself unable to provide basic needs for my children. How horrifying would it be to find yourself wondering where their next meal was going to come from?

It’s impossible to be prepared for every possible scenario that life could throw at us, but think of it this way: you buy health insurance to prepare for unexpected medical issues, you protect your assets through other types of insurance, you may contribute to an IRA or college fund to prepare for the future, so why not be prepared for something as basic as survival?

hiking cooling off in a stream
The hubby in his element - with his faithful sidekick
My poor hubby has a desk job, not his dream job of testing out gear for Cabela’s. This means he doesn’t get to go on outdoor adventures and act out his wildman instincts as often as he would like. But his birthday is coming up, and we're going camping. I’m looking forward to seeing him snuggle into his new sleeping bag, break in his new backpack, and act like a kid at Disneyland.

Does your family take any steps to preserve self-sufficiency? Share your tips!

4 comments:

  1. Yes we do. It has been interesting path that God has been directing on the last few years. Just slowly one thing after another. Clothes line, chickens, garden....then enlarging the garden a couple times. Milking goats and food storage and of course cooking from scratch.
    There are things still on our to do list that we need to get done. I hate that people think if you prep that you are some crazy person. I look at it as taking care of my family and not forcing other people to give me money to live when they are barely getting by.....and there is the opportunity to help others if you have something to share. The world doesn't have to go to hell....it could just be a job issues or an illness. Back in the day people had food storage and didn't run to the grocery store everytime they ran our of an item. Have you noticed how grocery stores don't stock as many items as they used too? Yes, they have a lot of stuff there but less of each item is maybe the better way to say it. I don't know how long our food supply could last us but let's just say it is over a week. LOL. Let's see as for tips....I make my own laundry soap and 409. I haven't bought "regular cleaning supplies" in forever. We just started making our own soap. We made a castille soap and then a shampoo bar. We are going to make a saving soap for my dear husband. If you want to know how we did any of those things, let me know. I will have to think about what other info I can pass on to you. We are working on a solar oven type thing (can't remember what the name of it is).
    It is pretty cool that you and Clint are into self-sufficiency too. Now only if we didn't live on the other side of town from you. LOL.
    Hope you have an awesome weekend!
    Trudy

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    1. Exactly - any number of things can happen in which you'll be thankful you made preparations, just in case. It's not always about a total crisis.

      You guys are definitely in a better area for gardening and that sort of stuff. We'd love to be in a more rural area again one day. I know Clint would love to live like The Waltons! :)

      The laundry soap is a good idea - I've been thinking about trying that sometime.

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  2. So easy you could do it with your eyes closed. I make the liquid soap (bar of soap grated, water, borax and washing soda. You heat the water, melt the soap, mix then pour into a big bucket, pour in the washing soda and borax and add more water (ok, so you should google it, and you will probably find pictures and measurements. I really like the 409 I make and it is water, vinegar, dawn soap and borax. Go easy on the dawn btw.
    We went to the gun show today. Oh man was it super crowded at first, we had to stand in line for a while to get in. By the time we left it was much lighter traffic and you could see what was on the tables better.
    Remember you can have a garden even in town with a small yard, you just have to be creative.
    I would totally love to live like the Walton's.
    Trudy

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    1. Yeah, we have a garden - we'd just like to have more space since Clint wants to have animals one day. I'd also like to learn about canning, and I have a sewing machine that is collecting dust...once the kids are a little older and I have more time, I hope to get into sewing. I think I'd enjoy it.

      I will check out those "recipes" - thanks! :)

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