The Prepper Movement - Part 2 - Prepping for the long term

In Part 1 we discussed the many requirements of prepping for short term natural and man-made disasters. While it may have been a lot to absorb for many, it is necessary to prepare and execute a short term plan as necessary for survival of short term disasters. BUT it is also necessary for a short term plan to transform into the foundation of a long term plan if necessary.
As we mentioned in part 1, if food supply lines aren't re-established fairly quickly following a disaster, society will begin to degrade rapidly. Anarchy will spread and overtake the ability of law enforcement to control it. As things get worse, the military will fall short as well. A desperate society is a dangerous society.

As we stated, comprehensive prepping for short term disasters will provide immediate relief from starvation and will provide security in the short term. But should things get worse and the need for short term relief becomes the need for long term relief, the plan for short term survival needs to evolve into a long term plan.

Six months of food won't last forever. If you don't plan for re-supply, 6 months will pass and all your prepping will have been a waste of time.

As you move forward with the preparation of a plan for the survival of a long term disaster, a few things must be remembered. The transition from a short term plan to a long term plan must embrace the knowledge that your most important weapon against starvation, attack by looters, and dying of exposure is YOU! You must be prepared physically and mentally to provide for yourself and your family. No one can do this for you. And the time to prepare yourself for this is now. Vigorous physical activity can make a world of difference in whether or not you survive. Mental preparation is also important. There are literally hundreds of resources available to help you develop a survival mindset, including the website listed above and the government website I listed in part 1.

Another important thing to remember is that fuel supplies for generators run out rapidly, you may be able to barter food or ammunition for fuel but it is more likely that you will not be able to aquire more fuel for you generator after your initial supply is exhausted. For those who use electric pumps for water, this means you will also be without water. Remember the rules of 3. 3 days without water and you and your family become part of the desperate mobs. On the shore we are fortunate to have a relatively high water table most of the time. It would be in your best interest to drive a shallow well and use a pitcher pump to draw water from the ground when the electricity goes out for good.

While researching for this post, I corresponded with several friends from http://www.preppersplace.com./We came up with what we believe are some other important issues to be addressed when prepping yourself for surviving a long term disaster.

First, remember that "no one can do everything, but everyone can do something". It is my new favorite phrase. This means that the need to create a network of like minded people is so important that your life will likely depend on it. Some people will be able to provide security to others who can't. But those who can't provide security may be able to grow vegetables but not livestock. Some may be good at raising livestock but not vegetables. A single person with several weapons may have friends who have no weapons but have the means to grow and prepare food for long term storage and a few extra rooms. Learn valuable skills such as gardening and safe food preservation and storage so that you can be a contributing member of a prepper group. You get the picture.

Second, educating friends and neighbors of the very real need to prepare for emergencies BEFORE they happen is just as important as anything else while preparing for both short and long term emergencies. Although more and more people are waking up everyday, many people are still not awake to the fact that prepping is essential. Be honest. How many of us have just opened our eyes? How would you feel if you survived and most of those you loved didn't because they either weren't aware of the need to prepare or didn't know where to begin? One of my fellow preppers from Arkansas told me that it would be worthless to him and his wife to prepare if they were able to survive and everyone they cared about were gone. Open the eyes of your friends and family.

Third, develop a network of people with whom you can trade things you have for those things you will need. If you grow and can your own vegetables, get to know people who raise chickens so that you can trade in the event the food supply lines are not re-established. In essence you are responsible for creating your own re-supply lines right within your community. Remember, the time to establish these contacts is now - not after a disaster.

Fourth, stock up on things you will need for long term survival.
Examples:

heirloom seeds (those which aren't genetically altered. Seeds that you can plant that will grow to yield fruit/vegetables that generate seeds that can be planted next season to grow more plants. Genetically altered seeds often do not produce vegetables that yield viable seeds).

Ammunition (for shooting and trading for other goods).

Medication (although most over the counter meds lose potency over time, they can still be more effective than having nothing at all - check with your local physician to find out which can be saved for extended periods of time).

I believe that the most important thing you can do to assure your survival of a long term disaster is to gather together a close group of friends and family members and develop a survival plan together. It may include everyone moving into one house when a specific event triggers the gathering of your group together. It may include everyone contributing food to a common food "bank" for your group. It may include several gatherings a year at a local shooting range. All of these are good ideas as far as I'm concerned. But whatever you do, do something.

We hope these posts have opened your eyes a little to the need to care for yourself your friends and family by developing a survival plan for natural and man-made disasters. We also hope you will be able to use some of the ideas listed here to develop your own survival plan.