Do You Consider Yourself a Prepper? Extreme or Just Slightly?

[Cluky]

Real friends would be there to get the planting done for you, or at least help. Oh wait! That would mean getting DIRT on their delicate hands....... (faints at the thought of dirty dirt........)

LOVE dirt on my hands. I am a city girl so I get laughed at and caller "earthy" all the time but truth is, once that dirt produces something everyone is at the doorsteps asking for stuff.

 

[Cluky]

of
cour

...

Does anyone besides me find it funny that in WW2, the government encouraged everyone to plant Victory Gardens as part of patriotism? The government wanted people to grow their own food so that more of the farm produced food could be used to feed our troops. Now, the government wants everyone on food stamps. People are lazy and no longer take pride in doing something for themselves when it is so much easier to let someone else do it for them.
[/quote.]. of course, why do it yourself when government will just pay you for doing nothing. the way I see it they are only part to blame since why not get free stuff. I often wish I would think that way. life would be easier and then I remember that I wouldn't be able to deal with constant boredom of doing nothing .

 

[Cluky]

overall I am not a prepped per se. but the more and more tying to account for what ifs. got my firearms card recently so I can hunt, store some of dry goods, have a garden and raise chickens. I joke with my husband that if SHTF first thing we do is get a rooster to be covered on meat and egg self sufficiency front. do have a garden but it is small because I live in city, but I do have a food cellar with a lot of my own canned veggies and fruits. Definitely keep some money at home for "rainy day". water I am kind of still thinking about though since we live in Chicago, a whole lake for it here and I do have filtering.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

I watch a lot of prepping stuff an laugh at most of it.

I was on youtube the other day trying to see how to make tortillas from scratch. I watched 60 videos called "tortillas from scratch" before I found one that did not start with a mix they got from walmart. These were prepper videos to.

I watched a few the other day that were talking about fishing. All about rods an reels.. Really? Fishing with a rod is a sport. Its not how you fish if you actually need food..

Best ones are the videos about replacing you grass with edible plants. Just stop mowing your yard an it grows grain. You eat that dont you? Stop spraying the dandelions an let them grow, you eat them too.

I could go all day..


I prep for reality. I own guns cause I like them. Most are collecting dust. I carry one an have one in the truck. For the most part I am not worried about people but animals, I live in the mountains. No need to prep for floods. My property grows native plants that you can eat. Those are mowed by goats that I can eat.

I have gas heat cause does not go out every time we have a storm. I also have 5 dogs that are great heaters. I keep used oil cause tractors run on it. Not that I own one of those but everyone else does.

I prep by knowing where the things I need come from an knowing how to get them, not by spending a fortune on supplies that take up space an expire.

 

[boxofpens]

@ Clucky: I said the same thing about a rooster. We had to dispatch ours because he kept attacking me. That's one of the 1st things we'll get or trade for if the SHTF. That or fertile eggs (we have a broody buff). We can hear a rooster off in the distance at our house and I said I'll treck my arse through those woods to find him. LOL. And I've almost convinced my husband to get a bull.

 

[donrae]

Does anyone besides me find it funny that in WW2, the government encouraged everyone to plant Victory Gardens as part of patriotism? The government wanted people to grow their own food so that more of the farm produced food could be used to feed our troops. Now, the government wants everyone on food stamps. People are lazy and no longer take pride in doing something for themselves when it is so much easier to let someone else do it for them.

Weren't you supposed to grow a garden and keep chickens? In your backyard?

 

[punk-a-doodle]

Oops, missed the first few pages somehow...will try not to derail from the main topic again.

So, prepping. Like anything, it can be taken to an extreme. I have steadily worked towards being more self-sufficient as far as food goes. Would like to add energy to that list. I love people and am big on community, so I hope to be able to share things like eggs and fish with my friends like they share things with me. I don't know if I call it "prepping", because I'm not preparing for anything. I'm concerned with the current health of and ability to economically support myself, family, and friends. So I'm more of a "currenter"?

 

[boxofpens]

@punk-a-doodle I agree 'prepping' can definitely be taken to extremes. Whatever 'prepping' is (it seems to be different things to different people). I've seen a few of those doomsday prepper shows, and some of those folks are quite odd. I love gardening, so I garden. With that comes surplus, so we can, freeze, dehydrate, etc. My husband always wanted bees, and I grew up around them, so we have bees. He also has wanted cows and chickens since he was small child, and life is short, so we bit the bullet and got some of each-- which we both absolutely love. All of a sudden we have a farm and we're giving away eggs, honey, and soon milk and cheese. However, when some people find out we have a farm they get this weird look and ask if we're "some of them preppers". What is that supposed to mean? That's why I say 'prepper' seems to be used mostly as a derrogatory term. Of course we have many people in our community from different states and countries attending or teaching at the university here, so they may not be used to people with farms, but come on... it's Texas. That's like going to Wisconsin and looking at someone funny because they're wearing cheese on their head. Anyhoo--- I digress. I like your term 'currenter'. You may get some interesting looks with that one too though, LOL.

 

[punk-a-doodle]

I have a different problem when I mention farming/homesteading/sustainable living/small scale farming. Some people get what I mean. Some assume I mean giant commercial monocrops and can be quite rude about it (not about disliking commercial farming...which I'd at least understand...but by condescending to me about how my husband and I should run such a venture). Those are the only two reactions I've gotten so far, but I think I'd rather be labeled a "prepper".

I love how your husband and you fell into this lifestyle and it sounds like you are enjoying it immensely! I hear you on life being short and it never being too soon to jump in.

 

[boxofpens]

We ARE enjoying it! My favorite part is when we come inside after the sun goes down and compare battle scars. For example tonight's conversation went something like this:
"My shoulders hurt."

"Mine too, right here (points at shoulder). And my wrist hurts".

"Look at this" (shows knuckles covered in blood).

"Wow!". "My forearms hurt from hammering".
"Mine too, from here to here".

"Me too! And my ankles hurt, why do my ankles hurt?"

"Maybe because we're pulling fence through the mud and our boots are slipping around."

"I'm not wearing boots."

"Hmmmm, is that a muscle?" (slapping arm to show off muscle).

"Man, I'm tired. I just rested my head in my hand and almost fell asleep."

"Fencing is hard work! But it's Fun!"

"I'm glad someone's having a good time."