[Opinion] 5 Rules for PO Prep.

RedStateGreen

I've been thinking about this for a while now.

My rules:

1) Learn as much as you can and think about what you've learned.

2) Priorities: Food, water, shelter. If you have those, the rest falls into place.

3) Decide what course of action fits best with your morals and lets you sleep at night.

4) Have or develop a skill that makes you irreplaceable to the community. If they have any sense, they'll [help] protect you. It's a rule anyone can use to good advantage.

5) Don't be afraid to live or to die. Aspire to do both well. Smile

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CarlinsDarlin · Moderator Joined: Jul 02, 2004 Posts: 1400

Having been out of the loop for a while, I have yet to read through all the pages of this thread... so I haven't yet completely decided on my own 5 rules. But, that being said, Red, I do like yours, so for now I think I'll adopt them Wink

Kathy

Iaato

BigTex

My 5 Rules:

1. Think through your spirituality fully. Finding out that you don't really believe in God or Jesus or whatever when you have a Job-like loss of everything really sucks.

2. Study the weaknesses of "just in time" inventory systems. Understanding these weaknesses creates a long list of obvious preparation steps.

3. Understand what good leadership is all about. If you are a leader it will make you a better one. If you are a follower it will help you select good leaders to follow. Every crisis finds examples of courageous leaders. Think about it beforehand.

4. Balance physical and mental fitness. Many are good at developing one but not the other. You will need both in any crisis. I think it is the mind that probably breaks down under prolonged stress more often than the body. By breakdown I mean poor decision making, onset of hopelessness, inability to interpret subtle messages...things like that.

5. If you have been hypnotized by the notion that the human race is marching toward an ever-rosier future, try to replace that idea with one of cycles of good times and bad times, plenty and scarcity, enlightenment and barbarism. Human society is like every other system in the physical world--it has cycles and rhythms. Study them and you will be well-positioned to react appropriately.

Pops

I stuck this for a test:
1/23/08 6:40p
21311 views
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patience · Expert Joined: Jan 04, 2008 Posts: 1523

My 5 rules have been being modified since 1974. Here's the latest version.

1. Plan your life for sustainability, based on how you see the future. Stored food ain't enough. Better plan to grow some.

2. Get where you want to be to live out the future as you see it. A community is the key to this. Going it alone is close to impossible.

3. Set priorities, based on Maslow's hierarchy of needs that include air, water, food, clothing & shelter, and companionship.

4. Diversify your position, especially kowledge and skills, so you can adapt to changing conditions. Your vision of the future is at least partly wrong. Expect to be surprised. Dad said that even a rat has sense enough to have more than one hole.

5. Make it happen. NOW.

I feel like I'm running a bit late on some things.... Ain't we all?

oldstyle

Much great information and ideas are in this thread. I dont wish to repost what has already been said so I'll go in a slightly different direction. In preparations I have considered many different scenarios and how they might affect me, my job and my family. Some are easy to mitigate, some not so much. Most things have simple homeade workaround type solutions, some require things be purchased and either built or stored for later. In evaluating these purchases here are the 5 rules I apply to every decision.

1. Keep it simple. When I worked in chemical plants a decade ago it amazed me to see a million dollar an hour operation get shut down for a 50 cent valve. Along the same lines, in my house I have a 40 dollar coffe pot break and not work again due to some gizmo timer that malfunctioned. Every car I have owned with power windows after a few years the motor starts going to crap. The moral being dont buy bells and whistles that will just break over time and leave you without. Get sturdy items with very little to nothing to break. If something does break, simple items are easier (possible) to repair.

2. Scrounge. It amazes me how much crap people buy. An example, I have a problem with people buying fire starting devices. If you have to carry something around for a fire, buy matches. You dont need a 30 dollar magnesium striker when a 50 cent bic lighter will work. Similiarly look around at what you have, it's amazing what items can serve multiple purposes.

3. Avoide impulse buys. I have been doing this for a few years now. When I see some gizmo that catches my eye and I think I want it (be it on the shelf or something on tv), I make myself wait a week or two. If I still think I need it after that I'll buy it. 90% of the time I dont even remember seeing it. Fight that consumer mindset people. Make do with what you have, that's the mindset. My wife is still quite the consumer and even she agrees that this works and is a good idea.

4. Keep the tank(s) full. A few years ago I was at a gas station convenience store and was in line behind a largish woman. She had a coke, bag of ships, some candy and after hearing the total she asked for 4 dollars of gas. I wanted to yell at her, put that crap down and put some gas in your car. Anyway, the point being that when a purchase meets a few conditions load the truck up. If your going to use it anyway, it's not going to go bad if it waits, if there is even the slightest chance of price increasing, and you can afford it without going into debt buy as much as you can. I cant think of anytime in my life where I had a full tank of gas and said to myself I dont know if I am going to use it all.... same with peanut butter, spagetti noodles, water, cough drops, and a million other things that my family will use on a long enough timeline and can easily be stored at my house instead of a store shelf. Keep the reserves full. I even apply this to non preps, anyone else have a stockpile of sandpapers in various grit?

5. Sustainable. This is a goal and not a rule, but where possible I always try to pursue the option that has less dependance. For example, a push mower with circlular blades versus a gas operated mower that requires gas, oil, spark plugs, new pull string every few years. It is encumbered with dependencies and is not sustainable, the push variety will go as long as I have a rock to hone the blades with a few times a year and some oil to keep the axle lubed with. (crushed nuts or even rendered animal fats should work just fine for that). I gave an example, but it's the mindset behind it that I try to adhere to. Sometimes it just isn't practicle tho.

Pops

Good rules Oldstyle. I like buying one good and repairable thing instead of 10 throwaways. The problem is even though the Kitchen Aid mixer I bought 25 years ago looks exactly the same as those on the shelf now – the guts have changed to plastic so there are no replacement parts available.

An old sewing machine repair guy told me when I was looking for a near—industrial strength machine for Susan that my best bet was a consumer machine from somewhere before ’65 – get an extra if possible for parts if I wanted her grandkids to use it.

My experience in handtools bares that opinion out; 1965 seems to have been something of the turning point ...

{I meant bears that opinion...}
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patience · Expert Joined: Jan 04, 2008 Posts: 1523

WOOO_HOO! Oldstyle and Pops! Grand ideas! I cannot for the life of me understand why anyone would do otherwise.

Oh, well, the poor quality stuff keeps my repair shop humming. Job security, I guess.

sittinguy · Heavy Crude Joined: Sep 07, 2007 Posts: 346

This may be the same old same old,, but, Its the simple truth.

1.. prepare for 1 year, thats alot of Food & TP (hint) It ain't cheap

2.. keeep your mouth shut.. sometimes even from your spouse.

3.. save a little cash and metals

4.. guns and ammo

5.. fuel/power,, depending on your needs can be costly,, very!

Happy2bHere · Coal Joined: Jan 28, 2008 Posts: 2

These rules work in good times and bad, whether you are young or old.

1. Be useful. Do something productive. Get your hands dirty.
2. Maintain your health so you can continue to be useful.
3. Figure out how to be more and uniquely useful. Observe and think.
4. Learn new useful skills. Adapt.
5. Connect with useful people. Volunteer in your community and at work. Pass on useful skills. Teach, tutor, mentor.

Pops

Welcome Happy, glad this was the place for your first post!
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Blacksmith

I'm all for things you can fix or reproduce. Years ago I bought a wind up radio, had been invented by some Englishman for use in Africa. Cutting to the chase it broke, too complicated to fix, and this was to be the salvation of Africa. Keep it simple, if it can't be repaired it's of little use.
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Happy2bHere · Coal Joined: Jan 28, 2008 Posts: 2

Thanks, Pops! Planning For The Future is the most interesting Forum here.