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Post by noclevername on Sept 5, 2022 18:00:34 GMT
Remember that September is National Preparedness Month. Be sure to post something helpful on the board this month. Other things may be happening and that is ok. Just don't forget to visit this forum and post some helpful info.
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Post by The Resister on Sept 6, 2022 3:07:20 GMT
I try to needle the people I know to start the basics of prepping even if they never become a prepper. Preparedness means that you prepare in advance for the most likely scenarios. Let's talk about this at a very basic level:
Do you know where your insurance papers are in case of fire, burglary, etc.? When was the last time you read your policy? Updated the inventory of your house? If something happens, the insurance companies expect YOU to give a list of the inventory and what it would cost to replace it.
Have you done the basic things this month like check the batteries in your fire alarms? How about the batteries in your flashlights?
Did you change your passwords in the computer so as to protect your identity?
You have to have drinkable water in your house and a good water filter. Look at all the people who are suffering right now due to the floods. What do you think would be happening if they had prepared for this?
Alternative heat and light sources are a must as well. Okay, so every day from here on out, we can discuss some tips of things you can do.
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Post by The Resister on Sept 7, 2022 2:37:01 GMT
This is my freebie of the day that no other preparedness group will bring up: Right now the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms Enforcement (BATFE) is going after people who have purchased braces for their AR 15 to turn it into a pistol. They are also going after people that bought forced reset triggers over the past few years, and they are going after devices called solvent traps. The BATFE claims that solvent traps are used to make silencers and that AR braces and forced reset triggers are the equivalent of machine guns (or something along those lines.) While the technicalities are a bit over my understanding (since I'm not a fan of fancy add on stuff), the mechanics of getting those things isn't over my head. Let me tell you something about ALL of your prepping needs. If you prep for the future, you risk falling under the label of being a hoarder and that is illegal. Here is a link to an Executive Order along those lines: obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2012/03/16/executive-order-national-defense-resources-preparednessPay specific attention to Section 801 Then there is 50 U.S. Code § 4512 - Hoarding of designated scarce materials: In order to prevent hoarding, no person shall accumulate (1) in excess of the reasonable demands of business, personal, or home consumption, or (2) for the purpose of resale at prices in excess of prevailing market prices, materials which have been designated by the President as scarce materials or materials the supply of which would be threatened by such accumulation. The President shall order published in the Federal Register, and in such other manner as he may deem appropriate, every designation of materials the accumulation of which is unlawful and any withdrawal of such designation. In making such designations the President may prescribe such conditions with respect to the accumulation of materials in excess of the reasonable demands of business, personal, or home consumption as he deems necessary to carry out the objectives of this chapter. This section shall not be construed to limit the authority contained in sections 4511 and 4554 of this title.
(Sept. 8, 1950, ch. 932, title I, § 102, 64 Stat. 799; July 31, 1951, ch. 275, title I, § 101(b), 65 Stat. 132.) So, as you can see, hoarding supplies is illegal in many instances and the BATFE makes up new laws as they go along, confiscating weapons based solely upon cosmetic features. While your firearm might be legal today, it may be illegal tomorrow. Where you go; what you believe; what you purchase are all fodder for Uncle Scam. What may be legal right now is subject to confiscation in the future. Furthermore, if you think your fellow man is going to come to your rescue when the big man comes around for you, then pay attention. Over the last few weeks I've tried to enlist people off of pro-gun sites to help those people who are being targeted by the BATFE. In some instances, the apathy has been so bad (on pro-gun sites) that posters have threatened me and a couple have said they want to kick my ass. Of course, I've accepted their challenge, but them not being patriots all they are going to do is peck their keyboards. If you have something Uncle Scam wants... YOU'RE NEXT! Whatever you purchase for prepping supplies and your self defense needs, you purchase it with cash and forget the Internet. Do not order stuff off the Internet. You expose your identity to identity thieves and you create a paper trail to your prepping supplies. I'm going to go one further: My friends laugh at me because I do not access certain sites on the Internet and what I watch for entertainment is personal. To that end, I still watch dvd and Blueray formats. I even own VHS tapes. If the government outlaws the stuff I like to watch, they can take it off streaming services. My dvds and Blueray videos insure that the government won't be keeping my personal viewing habits under surveillance. If they shut down or censor certain material, it won't hurt me. If I do order from a store, I send a money order and order through the mail. And, to make sure the goobermint doesn't follow that paper trail, I got a day worker to rent a P.O.box in a nonexistent company name. In six months I'll drop that box and get another. Warning: NEVER order illegal things through the mail under any circumstances. ANYTHING related to firearms is subject to becoming illegal at the drop of a hat AND the post office is the most effective pseudo government agency on the planet when it comes to tracking you down. Buy your prepper supplies: food, medical supplies, web gear, etc. using that method, but do not buy anything that may become contraband and subject to confiscation in the short term. You may get away with a few extra cases of food and medical stuff, but NOTHING that the government can claim is being accumulated for terrorist activities. I protect my privacy and the government can't shut down my personal library very easily. Movies are cheap, so while I may not have streaming services, cable, satellite, or anything like that I get to see a lot of good stuff AND save a lot of money by not being lazy and irresponsible when it comes to my personal privacy. I get four to six dvds / Bluerays from Goodwill each month at a cost of under $15 and have free antenna tv. What do you pay to your ISP for access to tv channels? That is my input for the day. |
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Post by The Resister on Sept 8, 2022 3:18:43 GMT
Okay, I'm back to do some more suggestions consistent with National Preparedness Month. How about we start at the beginning?
Preparedness can come in many different levels. Preparedness can be having the requisite things in your house to meet most emergencies; it can extend to a Bug Out Bag, Evacuation and Rendezvous Plan, and Communications Protocol. Preparedness may mean having supplies on hand for a few hours to a couple of weeks. Preparedness may mean that you're a prepper and stock supplies. Preparedness may mean you're a survivalist and have supplies for the long term and you may have a garden, hunting / fishing skills, etc. Preparedness that you're anywhere on that scale AND have planned for the excrement to interact with the electric oscillating device (aka SHTF.)
Some people make a near religion out of this subject matter. Being a prepper can become an obsession like being in a religious group. Whatever level you think you should take it to, there are some bare bones basics that EVERY person really should become involved in. Let's do the top five countdown so you will know what is really important and in what order.
1) We begin with a Bug Out Bag - A Bug out Bag (aka a 72 hour kit, Get out of Dodge Bag, Get Home Bag, Go Bag, etc.) This is simply what it sounds like. If you have to go in a hurry, you have a bag with the basic stuff you'd need for the next 72 hours as if you were at home. Imagine if your house were on fire and you had to leave immediately. You only have time to take ONE thing. When I was single and left town on a dime for the weekend, I found lots of uses for my Bug Out Bag. We will talk more about it in another post
2) Communications Protocol - Yeah, you've got your cell phone, the Internet, and all the modern marvels of the world. What would happen if the grid went down? How would you communicate?
3) Evacuation and Rendezvous Plan - Suppose there is inclement weather or your house burns down. You have to get out. Remember the fire drills you attended in school? Couple that with the Communications Protocol
4) Food and Water - Lights go out, roads get shut down, the unexpected happens. You need a minimum amount of food and water PLUS a way to purify water for at least a few days
5) First Aid - Do you have a first aid kit? Do you know how to use it? If someone gets burned at home, do you know what to do? Can you treat a snake bite? Do CPR? Temporarily stop a major wound until paramedics arrive?
I'll go in depth on each of those above topics as we progress with this thread.
These are common sense things that we don't do. Most people don't. Having had to do this when I was a kid, it's now a hold-over that I practice every day of my life.
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Post by The Resister on Sept 10, 2022 3:46:27 GMT
I take a day off so that people can observe a day for Queen Elizabeth II and watch tv, but there is no feedback. Any preppers out there? Let me pick up where I left off. Let's talk Bug Out Bags: No matter who you are and what you believe, you NEED a Bug Out Bag (aka Get Outta Dodge Bag, Go Bag, 72 Hour Kit, etc., etc.) You never know when an emergency will arise - and they WILL arise. There are many things that may force you out of your house. Inclement weather can force you out of your house for a few days. A major gas leak or maybe a plane crash or fire that burns out of control forcing people out of their neighborhood happens. Ah, yes, then there are those scenarios where a family member or loved one is taken into the hospital out of town and you want to go ASAP. These situations are not the time to get the stuff you need to function for a few days. Think about the floods and the raging wildfires going on right now - today. It could be you forced out of your home. Seconds could count. This subject has caused many people to become Bug Out Bag experts. There are books written about it. For example: www.amazon.com/Build-Perfect-Bug-Out-Bag/dp/1440318743That is just an example, not really for the guy that wants to just have a 72 hour Bug Out Bag. I'm going to start off with a simple premise. Let us presume that you want a B.O.B. for the above scenarios. You can expand beyond that, keeping some things in mind. No matter what anyone tells you there is only one person that can determine what should be in your B.O.B. - YOU. You know how much weight you can comfortably carry; you know what your special needs are; you know what you use on a daily basis; you know what kinds of area you are traveling in most of the time. The seasons and the weather determine what you need. Are you single or married? Do you have children? Do you have a pet that accompanies you? All of this is relative and only YOU can answer that. If you have infants, diapers, formula, etc. might be big things on your list. If you are older, medicines and medical devices might weigh into your equation. But the thing of it is, you can't take the whole house with you. Too much stuff and you'll have a coronary trying to carry it around. Having built many different B.O.B.s for different scenarios, here are my best pointers based on experience: In 1996 the Olympics came to Atlanta. I decided to leave town for a while after some doctors offered me a free motel room in Las Vegas for a nine day period (they overbooked and paid for it during a medical conference.) I had just over two weeks to prepare. All of my B.O.B.s were geared to a SHTF scenario and rural settings. Now, the whole planning side was irrelevant. I didn't need my Henry survival rifle that fit neatly into the stock. Besides, even back then I probably couldn't have a firearm in my luggage. The snake bite kit wasn't needed. Forget the gloves for dealing with wilderness tasks (like gathering firewood, etc.) So, what did I need? For the next ten days I woke up every morning and everything I used was written down in a notebook. I carried it with me everywhere. At the end of ten days I had a good idea of what I really used. In my toiletries kit I found that I used the following: Shampoo Conditioner Soap Under arm deodorant Toothbrush Toothpaste Dental Floss Mouthwash Comb / Brush Razor Shaving Cream After shave Foot powder I could afford some extra items (as space and my personal weight limit permitted) so I added some anti diarrheal medicine, small scissors, Q tips, toe nail clippers, and tweezers I presupposed that my B.O.B. would serve me if the airline misplaced my luggage. I remember once back in the 1980s I went to the airport and when I checked my luggage going to Monterey, California I told the baggage clerk to send one suitcase to Miami and the other to Memphis. The clerk said " I don't know if we can do that." I replied, " I made this same trip last month and you did it without me even asking." Anyway... Prepared for my luggage to not reach me, my carry on bag included two pairs of socks, two pairs of underwear, two t shirts and a pair of pants along with a small camping style rain poncho. For the just in case, I put a plastic military canteen in that with some water purification tablets. Top that off with a washcloth and small towel and if I get stuck without my luggage or at the airport, I can survive. Add some protein bars and granola and I'm good. That setup served me well during my single days as well. I'd go to a singles dance out of town every Friday night. All I had to do was put a shirt, pants, and dress shoes with a belt in the car, take out my toiletries bag (due to the weather) and leave it in my locker at work. After work, I didn't even have to go home. I'd shower at work, change and if I had to stay gone all week-end, I was ready. Granted, that set up won't work in the winter; won't do you much good during a rainy season; was not what you need in a rural environment. But, the point is, I prepared in advance by writing down all the things I used and then carried what I could comfortably fit into my B.O.B. and carry without a lot of effort. FYI I always have at least two B.O.B.s at home. One is the three day bag while the other is heavier, but has more substantial things in it. I can grab both on my way out the door and last for a week to ten days under most conditions. Quarterly, I have to go through the bags and restock and get rid of low and older stuff and stuff. Amazing how little the travel sizes of soap, shampoo, etc. cost too. You need to be prepared. |
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Post by The Resister on Sept 11, 2022 3:23:43 GMT
Remember that September is National Preparedness Month. Be sure to post something helpful on the board this month. Other things may be happening and that is ok. Just don't forget to visit this forum and post some helpful info. You started this thread and I walked into a one man show. How about some help from you on this subject? Back to the topic at hand: I left off with Bug Out Bags. We saw the major things that went into my own personal bag for a very basic emergency. I did omit a lot of things like extra prescription glasses, medicines, etc. It's a whole different set-up during the winter, so the best thing you can do is to keep playing with your bug out load to see what you can comfortably carry. I'm going to deviate a bit because this being National Preparedness Month, it can be the time that you assess your home situation. Updating passwords on the computer, checking batteries in the smoke detectors, making sure the flashlights are fresh and ready to go, and having enough potable water for a few days squirreled away are of paramount importance. There are lists of lists of things you can do, depending upon how " prepared" you want to be, but right now we can settle for doing just the basic stuff. |
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Post by noclevername on Sept 11, 2022 14:58:53 GMT
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Post by The Resister on Sept 14, 2022 3:14:24 GMT
We're almost half way through this month and haven't gotten past much more than Bug Out Bags. Let's change gears a bit. Preparedness can be as simple as being prepared for a few days around the house to really taking this stuff seriously. Having things like a Bug Out Bag, extra flashlights, non-perishable food, water, medicine, etc. are all basic stuff that you should take seriously this month. I want to add another important skillset that you should acquire. I want you to imagine that it's 2 am. Your smoke alarm goes off. You roll out of bed. What next? When I was much younger my best friend's next door neighbor had a fire in a mobile home. Within minutes, that place was up in flames and that mobile home owner lost two children in the fire. This is a lesson that you should learn and take seriously. If you need to leave your house and leave in a hurry, you should have an Evacuation and Rendezvous Plan. It must be practiced. If you don't practice it, you'll be like the delusional idiot that thinks they can become a Special Forces operator by watching SEAL Team on tv. Practice is mandatory. Suppose that a fire breaks out at your house and you make it out with another family member, but you think someone is still trapped. So, you brave the fire to go back and look for them. Lo and behold, that family member got out, but went to the opposite of the house from you. You perish in the fire due to - YOUR REFUSAL TO PREPARE AND PRACTICE. When you evacuate your home, you roll out of bed and stay close as you can to the floor. Grab your Bug Out Bag along with any family members you can and proceed to an agreed upon rendezvous point. It could be the mailbox or somewhere you can escape whatever emergency threatens your home and rally together to account for everyone. I will even give you a link to follow if you want to protect your life: www.smartdraw.com/evacuation-plan/fire-escape-plan-maker.htm?id=377149&msclkid=f19dd52675a61d196c75b6073365b78f |
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Post by The Resister on Sept 15, 2022 3:27:10 GMT
Tonight I will skip my usual order of preparedness as this month may very well test us and those who prepare now may appreciate this refresher thread in preparedness.
As you might know, within the next couple of days railroad workers may go on strike. Food may become rationed in the coming weeks. There may be shortages depending upon how long the unions and the railroads battle it out. IF you are smart you will make a list of all the OTC medicines you use and stock up. If you don't have a pantry, you should stock up now and try to amass a couple months worth of canned goods and food that will last a couple of months. ROTATE your stock and don't let food expire on your shelves. The effects of the strike may not be felt for a couple of weeks, so you have a little time to prepare, prepare, prepare. Food and medicine could become imperative at this juncture. Don't forget a extra toilet paper. I figure at least a roll of toilet paper person per week as a minimum. For a family of three that is a minimum of 36 rolls a month. Men use less, women waste toilet paper. Paper towels might get hard to come by.
When prepping, you start with what is the most important thing and work down the list. Today the most important things are food, medicine, and water. Make sure you buy things you will eat and give yourself some variety.
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Post by The Resister on Sept 16, 2022 3:20:21 GMT
I've been skipping the part about a Communications Protocol for a reason. When you're new to preparedness that is an in depth topic that can be intimidating - at least initially. I'm going to whet your appetite on that subject before doing something simple tonight. You get two subjects for the price of one in this posting. Communications Protocol - A Communications Protocol can be as simple as how you communicate effectively in an emergency and even if the grid is down OR it can become complex so that you have to employ the following terminology: Infosec Comsec Opsec Persec Intimidated yet? Those are just acronyms for Information Security, Communications Security, Operational Security and Personal Security. For someone in the military or a seasoned prepper, these things have a lot of meaning. It is more precise for the military than for seasoned preppers as your personal life is - security is security. Most of us don't care what category it falls into. What you want to know (or rather should want to know) is how do you communicate in an emergency. I used to be what they called an " asset" for the Department of Family and Children Services (DFACS.) It is a fancy way of telling you I volunteered to take in kids at any hour of the day or night and look out for them as a foster parent. During the course of our training, we had to anticipate a host of emergency situations and come up with our own written plan on how to deal with them. For example, suppose that you're a foster parent and it's midnight. You have four children in your care and a family emergency arises. A family member has been in an accident or some other immediate emergency. You can't just haul the children off to the local jail and drop them off. You can't put them on a plane with you in the middle of the night and go to some other city, state, or country. In that instance, we were taught to network with other assets in the area and develop a Phone Tree. This is a pretty simple idea. If the plumbing breaks down at midnight and I can't take care of the children, I have a list of phone numbers and begin calling other assets for help. For simplicity, we presuppose that time is of the essence. In this example, we cannot presume that the first person we call will be able to help. Luckily, as assets, you don't have a lot of people to call, but you make the best of your time and other assets pitch in. In this example, let us suppose that I have SIX assets to contact. If I call number 1 on the list and they can't help me immediately, I would call number 2. The first person I just called would call number 6 on our list. I would then call number 3 while the other asset calls number 5. We keep this up until we find qualified assets to come and pick the children up. It involves more than one person frantically calling a lot of numbers and saves time especially since someone may be able to handle one child, but not all of them. Plus it lets other assets know that a need exists while I'm gone. The bigger the group you have, the more complex this gets. I'm just trying to get you started so that you can start it at a personal, family, and then neighborhood level so as to anticipate any local emergency. Let's move now to a different skillset: In my neighborhood a lot of people are having their cars broken into and in nearby neighborhoods burglars break into houses in broad daylight. One guy was telling me his neighborhood is so bad he can't close a window without smashing somebody else's fingers. People get an alarm service, put up cameras, and call the police. Aside from that they pack heat (that is buy a gun) and threaten to shoot pranksters, looters, and burglars (along with porch pirates and other assorted nutjobs.) NONE of that stuff is effective. Cameras may be a minor deterrent, but little else. It rarely works to identify the offenders, but it does have some value so if you invest in it, get quality cameras. As an individual, you should have deadbolt locks, extra window locks, a safe in your home, a sturdy foot locker with a good sized lock on it and don't leave anything of value for thieves to take. Don't waste your money on those small safes that someone can pick up and run off with. Use that money to get a safe deposit box at the bank where you put important papers, jewelry, family heirlooms, etc. for porch pirates, I got a post office box at the local post office. I pick up my packages there. It denies porch pirates an opportunity to steal my stuff. Of course, there are a lot of jackasses in corporate America that are dumber than dog snot. They will only ship to a street address. They say it's for " security." The post office knows EXACTLY who they are renting boxes to. Furthermore, using the federal mail for any kind of mail fraud is a federal felony. Porch pirates are committing a misdemeanor; people trying to steal stuff via the mail are committing a federal felony... AND the post office is the most effective pseudo governmental entity on the planet. They resolve in excess of 98 percent of their cases. It's a little bit inconvenient to pick your stuff up at a post office, but if it's valuable isn't it worth it? Next, while cameras and an alarm service are a good thing, I would add some personal alarms in addition to cameras and the alarm service. It should be an alarm that, once a door or window is breached, will emit a loud sound. Sometimes the sound may drive a burglar away and sometimes the noise will annoy neighbors and they might look out the window to see what is going on. Here is an example of what I'm talking about: www.amazon.com/Gauge-Perimeter-Defense-Device-Black/dp/B09X1V4QCF (let us know if / when that link becomes outdated) www.pyrocreations.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=25www.amazon.com/Electronic-Indoor-Outdoor-Security-System/dp/B07K3Z3CQQ/ref=asc_df_B07K3Z3CQQ?tag=bingshoppinga-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=80676721523990&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4584276298612700&psc=1Note: EXPERIENCED burglars may know how to locate and disable electronic devices. The 12 ga. variety that sound like a shotgun going off are harder to disable since they are inside the home and not accessible by wires. Let me know if you need more info. |
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Post by noclevername on Sept 16, 2022 20:48:53 GMT
I feel like I maybe flaked out by not being here and saying something. I'm sorry brothers and sisters. If nobody is participating the admin and mods have a right to be mad. Here is my part for the day.
There was so much stuff out there and so much advice that I did what was suggested here earlier. Buy yourself a bag and figure out what you need based on what you use. Nobody selling you stuff can tell you nor make an appropriate kit for you without knowing all about you. They can't even tell you what size or kind of bag to put your stuff in. You might have a backpack of some sort or big bag that you can carry on your shoulder. This much I know. If you got kids or a pet think backpack. You need your hands free to carry the little one or the pet.
If you want to store stuff for emergencies and space is limited a good 5 tier shelf can be had from the stores for around 50 bucks. You can get those wire rack shelves that are 36" wide and about 5 feet tall. That's enough room to stock a lot of essentials.
Last tip for you is that you need some gold and silver maybe in coin form for barter, trading whatever. It will keep its value and don't take up a lot of room.
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Post by noclevername on Sept 18, 2022 17:00:02 GMT
I read this whole thread last night and realized that you never mention firearms in the context of preparedness. Was there a reason or we just didn't get there in the discussion?
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Post by The Resister on Sept 19, 2022 2:54:08 GMT
BEFORE I respond to noclevername, I want to address something while it's on my mind.
A lot of people are telling you these lists of things you need and then we let that conversation die. One thing we need to discuss is flashlights. Alternative lighting when the lights go out is important. And it's easy to buy junk flashlights for when it's really dark. I considered that recently and spent $80 (ON SALE) for one small flashlight. It was small and fits into my pocket and it emits a 1000 lumens of light. I was at a gun show yesterday and there was a really good deal on a flashlight, but I didn't have time to think it over and research the brand. It had great features and that inspired this posting.
The most important thing to know about flashlights is how powerful they are. Lumens is the amount of light they put out. As a comparison, my flashlight emits 1000 lumens. A 65 watt bulb in your house emits 800 lumens. The flashlights you buy at Wallyworld or the sports stores emits usually 150 to 300 or so lumens. Three companies I know of produce very powerful flashlights that are made like tanks: Surefire, Streamlight, and Olight. Surefire is extremely expensive, Streamlight is built solid and Olight gets negative reviews for quality. Needless to say I picked Streamlight.
The next things to know about your flashlight is how long the batteries will last. Fortunately most flashlights list that on the packaging.
The last important thing to know is what distance you can drop your flashlight and it still work. Again, on quality flashlights (including those sold in Wallyworld and sports stores) has that information on the packaging.
My flashlight has a couple of neat features. It uses batteries and the battery inside can be charged by attaching a cable to the battery and the other end to a USB port. The flashlights I saw at the gun show had some better features. The best feature, and I didn't know to look for it when I bought the Streamlight, was a variable power where you can click the on / off switch and get a medium beam and tap it again for low bear. Having that option allows you to use a lower beam and save the batteries, making them last much longer than at full power.
You can buy cheap flashlights and put new batteries in them and then pound the rear of them trying to make the flashlight work OR you can buy a quality flashlight. If you're into prepping, you will have a couple of quality flashlights and a few el cheapo types as back-ups. The reality is, you can't buy a quality flashlight for under about $35 and the best ones run at $100 +
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Post by The Resister on Sept 19, 2022 22:24:49 GMT
I read this whole thread last night and realized that you never mention firearms in the context of preparedness. Was there a reason or we just didn't get there in the discussion? If you are reading this as a result of being afforded a link to this thread, we have more specific categories on this board if you'd like to start a thread and ask questions. Now, back to the question posed by noclevername: I didn't address firearms in this context because, at this stage, we are talking preliminary considerations for those who want the basics. Second to that I tend to step on a lot of toes over this subject and I can explain it best by some examples. There is a local discussion board where I live that is run by pabulum puking liberals so they allow right leaning people to blow off a small amount of steam on a couple of topics. ONE of the issues is the number of people that have taken to being porch pirates stealing packages as they are dropped off by UPS and Fed Ex. Then there are pranksters that beat on peoples doors and run off in the middle of the night. The worst offenders are people that key cars, break into them by shattering windows and stealing whatever they can get their dirty paws on. Then you have people breaking into houses and sometimes in broad daylight with cameras monitoring the house. One elderly man living a couple of miles said he asked a cop how long it took to make it to the bus stop whereupon the cop replied: " I don't rightly know. Nobody's ever made it that far before." It has caused a lot of people that own firearms to boast about what they would do if they caught someone. Liberals welcome such talk as it provides ammo (no pun intended) to those who advocate gun control. In practical terms, shooting a porch pirate or prankster or even the guy that shatters a window and steals your stuff out of your car is a BAD idea. Shooting unarmed people that aren't physically assaulting you is a dicey proposition. My critics can like it or not, I've never sent anybody to a jail cell or prison and I won't start now by encouraging that kind of talk OR those kinds of actions. I fear that people may try to steal my stuff off the front deck so my counter to that is to use a post office box. NOBODY robs the post office. I don't advocate that people get those UPS boxes as they have too many regulations for what you can and cannot receive there. The feds should come in and tell them not to discriminate or lose their corporate status. If it's legal to sell, it should be legal to ship. But I digress. Insofar as the pranksters, burglars, and people keying cars and breaking into them by smashing windows, the community needs a Neighborhood Watch program coupled with some amateur sleuths to uncover who is doing the deeds. And back to firearms: After being attacked in my own home, but being able to best the attacker in a fight, I am armed at all times except when in the bed or shower. Yep, I am armed when I'm watching a movie at home and even when I'm eating at the table. I've also considered the ramifications of shooting someone. Since the age of 14 I've seen a number of people that got shot. I can vividly remember at least half a dozen. You really don't want that experience. OTOH, the government is beyond ridiculous when it comes to mental health. Sooo... when you encounter unarmed people intent on committing a crime failure to shoot can cost you your life. Juries are made up of people that watch too many movies. It's hard to get a realistic jury. Again, examples must be used. The average person can travel 22 feet in a second! See this: sports.answers.com/sports/How_many_feet_per_second_could_a_human_runIf you are endangered, you literally must make a split second decision IF you have that much time. I will say this, you are well advised to own a firearm. THIS is what it is like in the county I live in: www.ajc.com/news/crime--law/video-shows-woman-firing-several-shots-home-intruders/U8jGpj16rIFjbtF1bO1A1I/#:~:text=Just%20minutes%20into%20a%20home%20invasion%2C%20a%20Gwinnett,rummaging%20the%20house%20in%20the%20Sept.%2016%20incident. Still, the majority of people in this county vote for liberal, gun hating bed wetters that think high capacity magazines aren't needed. So, would YOU like to face THREE intruders in the middle of the night and be limited to three rounds per assailant? We allow the criminally insane to run amok in a free society. The doctors ask them if they are competent and they reply, of course. Then they attack people for no reason - and sometimes to feed a drug habit. Do you need a gun? Probably. Should you buy a gun? My answer would be NOT UNLESS you get the training, practice and make regular trips to the range. You must practice shoot, don't shoot scenarios. None of that is a guarantee that you'll be accurate or do the right thing, but it may help you determine whether or not you want to invest in yourself to be a responsible gun owner. If there is interest beyond this point, we can address the topic. |
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Post by noclevername on Sept 20, 2022 16:52:22 GMT
You have a point with regards to firearms but hopefully when it's time in the thread you will revisit it.
When it comes to preparedness a lot of people treat it like a religion. They think it means acquiring a lot of junk that they might not ever use. So far this topic has had a message that you carry only what you need. Quality over quantity and have a priority to your preparations. As soon as a person is prepared for three days of inconvenience and then a week they can start thinking about months down the road. Thankfully this thread is all about that. My suggestions for now is to buy one of those plastic boxes that keep your batteries separated and all in one location. We know how it really is. The remote goes out on the tv or stereo and you are searching around in drawers for the rest of that pack of batteries you bought the last time. I did it this week. That is why the suggestion.
What are your thoughts about water purification?
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