Paranoid or wise?

[texweatherby]

I used to consider hardcore preppers kind of paranoid and maybe a little bit "out there." However, the way things are going, I'm beginning to think maybe they're not so odd after all. I just mentioned to one of our long-time W Nation members the other day that with my daughter 300 miles away, how would I contact her if the cell towers all went down? All of us with family spread out face the same possibility. A power grid failure (or attack) would kill the towers and the internet - backup power wouldn't last very long. I looked at different things and the best answer seems to be HAM radios. There are handhelds (short range only), but you can put a powerful system in your house or vehicle that can broadcast/receive over very long distances and battery backup (or vehicle battery) can keep you on the air. Getting a HAM license is not difficult. We intend to put a plan in place for what to do, where to meet etc. for any disaster just in case. Something I think everybody should start looking at. Stay safe & well gents.

[Grouchy]

"They" shut  down our cell phones after a hurricane to avoid the system from being busied out so "they" could use it. The land line phones still worked. We had no electricity for 2 weeks. I was online because my internet was though the phone line, powered by my generator. It's my standard plan to have a friend to act as a contact point for info on my status. I do have both a VHF and a CB battery operated radios.  I have thought about a natural gas operated generator as the gas is piped in and never shut down, yet.  Charcoal for the grill is also a good idea.

[Grouchy]

A lot of these ideas are available through hurricane prep guides online. The freeze dried food is good but loaded with salt. It's shelf life is over 20 years. MRE's are better on the salt level but not near the shelf life. Some of them aren't too bad. You can cook frozen foods on the grill. 

[zonie]

Hunt, fish, barter, and can food.  There was a run on canning lids awhile back,   I bought a re-supply  on e-bay.   Now who would  think there would be a shortage of pressure cooking supplies ?   Canned food , pickled, smoked , naturally dried, can all be done without electricity all you really need is water and we're on our own well and a good supply of wood.  The other thing is bring back bartering what do you think they did in the depression and farther back.   The farmers are the ones that had food on the table.  My family sold or traded  eggs, made bread, had huge veggie gardens, grew wheat,  raised chicken, hogs, sheep, cattle, a few horses and they canned almost everything including fish.  In fact I've been getting back into canning  fish , peaches, apple sauce , plums, and meats.  65 qts approx for a cow elk that's not including the backstraps and the burger we usually get anywhere from 60 to 100 pounds of burger depending on size of the cow and any blood shot meat.  3 small trout per pint tastes like a slightly rich canned salmon great for salmon patties. 

[ifuonlynu]

I have better things to do in life and with my Father being Mormon and how his side of the family lived I never and still don’t see the need. But then I have fended for myself since the age of 12.

[zonie]

Regardless of the political climate we are in today.  I'm actually not a prepper per say, but I do think people should be prepared for disasters,  fire, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods,  whatever the case may be.  I live around a lot of Mormons quite a few are friends and they do have a way of living that keeps them prepared.  Old school farmers are the same way I don't look at being prepared for something as going out of my way,  I kind of like doing what we do and getting back to the old ways . 

[David Keith]

I'm not a 'prepper' per se.
But, I do believe that pre-planning prevents piss poor performance.

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