Where to start?

[AllenM]

I believe in the need for prepping, but so far have done nothing about it.
If I were to start with $2000.00 what what be the first things that would be suggested?

Skipping the weapons and ammo aspect.

 

[jd4320t]

Generator, alternate heating source, depending on what you have currently...gas, electric or whatever.

Food and water

 

[Eddie]

I believe in the need for prepping, but so far have done nothing about it.
If I were to start with $2000.00 what what be the first things that would be suggested?

Skipping the weapons and ammo aspect.

Research, Research Research! Before you spend a single penny read up on everything you can find about prepping. Make a list and prioritize it.

Once you have decided what you need and in what order you want to buy it, shop around. Every penny you save on one purchase gives you a penny to spend on something farther on down your list.

For my part I would suggest looking at what you need to stay alive and using that to prioritize your list. For example you will last longer without food than you will without water so a means of purifying water might go higher up on your list than food.

Another thought is to build up your supplies based on time increments. Obtain everything you need for three days, then try to upgrade to a week's worth of supplies and so forth. Keep in mind that some things expire and you will need to rotate your stock to avoid spoilage.

 

[smokingman]

2000 you say....
1.Water:Sawyer Complete Water Purifier System - 4 Liter at REI.com $220.00 with shipping(I did find these for 198.00,but they are out of stock.There is a lower micro Sawyer,but all there filters are good for 1 million gallons guaranteed.

2.Water storage.We have a few options.Honestly the best options are free.Food grade 5 gallon buckets,every Marsh bakery and Kroger bakery throw away 5-10 of these per day,and will save them for you if you ask.Most are icing and cake mix buckets and need little cleaning.Also 2 liter bottles make great storage.Do not use milk jugs.

3.Shelter/Warmth.This is a tough one.If you are staying home you can plan for this with little trouble or cost.Think primitive.A wood stove is your best bet if you have a fuel supply.If you are not going to be home a 4 season tent would be a great item to have.The advantage of a 4 season vs 3 season are huge. Though a 4 season tent will cost a great deal more.Black Diamond Squall Tent 3-Person 4-Season from Backcountry.com $179 for 2 man,up to $2500+ for 8 man base camps.

4.Food.Spend some,but try to store what you eat.I think a 3 month+ of long term storage is a good idea. 240 meals for $432 here(https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...i_have_found_on_emergency_food_in_awhile.html) Until the 31st of this month,then it will cost a little more.

5.Cooking.If you have a wood stove as a heat source you have this covered.If not or you need some thing mobile you need a good stove.
$109 for a stove that will burn nearly any liquid as fuel.White gas,diesel,kerosene,and even used vegetable oil.(Brunton VAPOR-AF Vapor All Fuel Stove - ManVenture Outpost, LLC)

6.Hand tools.A good axe,wedges,hatchet,shovel,ect...They will all be very useful. $200.00

7.Sanitation.You can always make a pit toilet if you have no running water.
Personally we keep a few months supply of TP on hand, a few boxes of baby wipes,and a decent supply of soap. $80.00

8.First aid. You need a decent kit.A cut is nothing now,if it gets infected you go to the doctor.After shtf you can not rely on that.Spend a little on it but do not go crazy. $100.00 Also I would see if your doctor can give you some decent antibiotics most will.$40.00

So far we have I have you spending 1080 or so,minus the tent.Clothing of course should be reliable and season appropriate.Good boots,socks,hats,gloves,coats,and rain gear.Transportation will depend on the kind of shtf,but a bike for each family member may not be a bad idea.And possibly a game cart/bike trailer to haul your ammo.
There are way to many shtf scenarios to cover them all.If you have water,the ability to store water,food,an ability to keep warm,a way to cook food and meet your basic daily needs you will be doing better than most.Garden items,seeds,Pressure canner w/ jars and plenty of lids are all things that would be very useful.
You can always spend some on luxury items(items you do not have to have shtf)such as a cloths washer(http://www.laundry-alternative.com/washing.htm).And any number of other items.A solar 12v battery charger opens up many useful items with an inverter.In a short term shtf a generator may be practical,long term shtf most will be useless with out fuel.
Also,try and not think of just shtf in your prep plans.Do you have copies of all your important documents on a portable drive? What would happen if your house burned to the ground one night and you managed to get everyone out,did anything else make it out?This is the real reason I keep a bob bag.It will not only get me home from where I am,but if I have to leave the house with nothing,it is already locked in the tool box with copies of most everything I would need.I even have pictures that we update for insurance purposes.*Note I said portable drive,not a usb flash.The reason is the drive can take the heat or cold,the flash drive can not.

Hope that helped.

 

[AllenM]

helpful

 

[shibumiseeker]

Smokingman and Eddie are spot on. Once food, water, and shelter are taken care of then investing in a small fuel efficient inverter generator such as the Honda EU2000i and a few 5 gallon cans of fuel can help keep the contents of the fridge and freezer good for a few weeks if used carefully, and can charge batteries and the like. Run an hour or two morning and evening and you'll burn 1/3-1/2 gallon a day.

My philosophy as a survivalist is that you build skills and knowledge as first priority, then preps second. You can slowly build preps while building knowledge and skills. Is anyone in your family emergency medical trained? It's a good skill to have, especially wilderness EMS. Why? Because an injury or illness is a high likelyhood as the cause OR the result of SHTF. The Wilderness First Responder class runs $400-800 and can be done in a week or two.

Anything you consume (not just food and water, but ALL supplies) should be things you keep a stock of. Look at how much you use on a daily or monthly basis and then just buy more of them and rotate everything out constantly. Look at your preps as a savings account, you can buy some items in bulk or on sale, and then if you have a time of financial problem you can live off stores if needed. We have a certain minimum stock level for consumables, below which we only go in emergency, but above which the quantities fluctuate depending on our finances and ability to save money in bulk purchases.

 

[E5RANGER375]

I agree with Eddie. Make a plan FIRST, and stick to it. you need to consider how much storage space you have and what temp your stores will be at. also make sure you have the proper containers to protect it from rodents etc. theres a lot of info on INGO, but realy no one will know your exact situation better than you. once you get it all, dont advertise it. just advice.

 

[cosermann]

Good comments so far. Everything I'd suggest has been mentioned. The Principle, or Rule of Three might also be helpful in terms of helping you prioritize.

What do you need to survive for:

3 seconds? - calmness, composure, and reason. If you panic in an emergency situation, you can make a foolhardy decision that could seal your fate quite quickly. Fortunately, thinking about these things beforehand, like you are, will help you avoid panic. Sit. Think. Observe. Plan.

3 minutes? - oxygen, sufficient blood pressure, etc. Suggests - first aid supplies for dealing with urgent medical contingencies, and defensive tools (to potentially avoid them in the first place).

3 hours? - Suggests shelter, fire/heat and their associated infrastructure (i.e. gear to cope with the heat and cold).

3 days? Suggests - water, and its associated infrastructure.

3 weeks? Suggests - food and it's associated infrastructure.

3 months (yrs, etc. - longer)? - Suggests something about the amount of supplies, ability to produce stuff for your various needs, etc. Some folks think of things like faith, hope, and companionship when thinking longer term.

Associated infrastructure could be something like a generator and fuel to run your well pump and/or a manual means to draw, purify, and store water. Etc.

1) Knowledge, 2) Tools, and 3) Supplies form a 3-legged stool for survival.

Supplies are a huge help, especially in the short term. As time goes on, knowledge and tools will be more critical.

Funny how that number 3 keeps coming up.

 

[RichardR]

I usually advise folks start by putting together a 72 hour kit for every member of their family.

After everyone in the household is good for 72 hours, you can start by complimenting those supplies to increase your family's ability to be self-sufficient for longer & longer time periods, as determined by budget &/or needs.

 

[woowoo2]

In my case, it was a generator and secondary heat source first.
That was after our last ice storm.
After that, Water, food, and fuel.

 

[Indiana_Dave]

All good advice except, personally, the thought of getting a generator has never appealed to me. If shtf, my plan is to go "amish" immediately. Forget about your big screen TV, etc. And, if you want to use smaller stuff, figure out how to run it from your vehicle's 12V outlets.

One strategy not mentioned here is to start with surviving for a day, and going from there. Prep for a day; then prep for a week; a month and so forth. Go about your daily life and think about what you would do and where you would get water, food, etc., if an event occurred. The preps for a day would include maybe a water filter straw, a weapon, a space blanket, some protein bars, clothes, etc. Later, when you've prepped for long term, the one-day preps do not go to waste; they become your BOB.

Good luck.

 

[AllenM]

I am reading all this I just have not had time to get back on INGO and respond. Thanks though for the input.
11:30pm and I am back at work after all day with a break at the 1500
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