In early 1988 I first heard the word survivalist from my then girlfriends father when he gave me several books related to survival including back issues of Kurt Saxons now defunct “The Survivor” newsletter.
Within two days I’d started my food storage program (25 lbs of dried beans) since that time I’ve managed to build my preps up to an acceptable level (despite having to start over more than once) but along the way there have been many challenges and I’ve learned from each, so today I thought I’d create a list of 14 things, I wish someone had told me in when I started.
1. You Can’t Do It All At Once
This is a mistake that I, and I’m sure many others have made when starting out, we want to get it all done – yesterday. You run around all frantic, shaking and scatter brained determined to become prepared for a major disaster within a week of starting. But all you end up doing is wasting money and time. Relax, make a plan and work toward your goals and you’ll get there sooner than you think.
2. You Don’t Have To Be Rich
By reading some survival blogs (know who you are) and books you get the expression that you need to spend $100,000 to reach a suitable level of preparedness. Unfortunately, this causes many to give up before they start. You don’t have to prep like the rich – you just need to prep smart.
3. Make Your Own Plan
No two survival plans will be exactly the same - granted there will be some semblance but each will have to be different to meet the needs of the individual. For example, I often suggest wheat as the backbone of the survival food storage plan but a small percent of the population are allergic to wheat and will need to store other foods in equal or greater value. You need to take a long look at your location, skills and needs and plan accordingly. Make your own plan.
4. Preparedness Isn’t Measured By How Many Guns You Have
I’m sure many of you have made this mistake. When I started prepping I worried more about finding the perfect survival gun and building a battery than building my other survival preps. Guns are fun and it is easy to get lost in the appeal just don’t let other areas of you preps suffer while you try to build your dream arsenal.
5. Skills Are More Important Than Gear
We’ve all heard the expression “he who dies with the most toys wins”, I’m still trying to figure out what the winning prize is. I have nothing against using the latest technology and gear – just don’t depend on it. Things break, get lost, stolen or don’t work as intended. Your most important piece of survival gear is your brain – learning survival skills should be your number one priority.
6. You’re Not Rambo
Most of the Rambo want to be’s won’t last long. Many new survivors fall into what I call the Rambo mind-set, they can’t wait for the collapse and breakdown of law and order, then they will take to the woods and engage in one firefight after another. They see themselves as the ultimate killing machine taking down the bad guys in a burst of gunfire.
7. Get A Life
Preparedness is a serious business and it is easy to become obsessed – don’t do it. I love learning new skills, reading survival books and planning for different possibilities and all this takes a lot of time, but I’ve learned that unless I take time off the rest of my life tends to fall apart. Go see a movie, spend time with family and relax. Then when you come back to all this you will do so with a fresh and rested mind which will allow you to get more done and make fewer mistakes. The key is balance.
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