What have you LEARNED (good & sad) From your "PERSONAL" prepping journey.

[Sourdough]

For the purpose of this thread "YOU" learned it "YOU" personally (good & sad) from your personal experience (What we call, "Boots in the FIELD" experience).

Example: For two months you watched a "Hornets' Nest" and you never seen one Hornet, so you whacked the nest, you learned it was prudent to watch the nest for two months, or you learned to run very-very fast after learning you should have watched for longer.

NOT some book learned, or internet learned, or "U-TUBE" learned. You learned it "original".

2'nd EXAMPLE: In the 1950's I learned NOT to pee on an electric fence, just see what happens.

 

[Tacitus]

Water purification chlorine needs to be stored carefully and monitored.

Canned goods don't last as long as they used to. Monitor them. Rotate them, or throw them out after a while.

 

[Neb]

I will never live long enough to get all of my dream projects done so be happy when I get anything done.

Ben

 

[Supervisor42]

For the purpose of this thread "YOU" learned it "YOU" personally (good & sad) from your personal experience (What we call, "Boots in the FIELD" experience).

Example: For two months you watched a "Hornets' Nest" and you never seen one Hornet, so you whacked the nest, you learned it was prudent to watch the nest for two months, or you learned to run very-very fast after learning you should have watched for longer.

NOT some book learned, or internet learned, or "U-TUBE" learned. You learned it "original".

2'nd EXAMPLE: In the 1950's I learned NOT to pee on an electric fence, just see what happens.

Since we do 'live-fire' testing of our preps whenever a hurricane blows thru, our preps are good.
What did I learn?
...We need to stock more cat litter .

 

[Patchouli]

On the food storage, I learned that my kids grow up and leave, food expires, cans bulge, and health issues put me in the position where foods I used to be able to eat, now, not so much.

Bad: Prep lists have changed, stuff thrown away. Good: Then finding new ideas for what foods I might have to eat long term because it is cheap, stores easily, tastes good, and is not likely to make me sick.

That it is good to buy seeds, especially when they're on sale, for future use, and stored properly might help see me through or can be used by someone else if I'm not here.

 

[Pearl]

I learned that I AM READY!! Nothing will be easy!!

 

[UserNameTaken]

Uhm, when I was about 13, I learned not to throw rocks at a bear when there is an ice cold river behind you.

As for something helpful, I've learned that with "FoodSavers," if the bags aren't perfectly clean, dry and not overfilled they tend to lose the seal. So I double bag stuff whenever possible.

I also learned don't seal pool shock (chlorine) in a food saver bag - it literally ate the plastic!

 

[Caribou]

Pick a spouse that is also a prepper.

 

[jazzy]

not all chocolate is equal
no such thing as too much coffee - tea
learn now to grow a few things like taters, green beans and onions is critical
learn to can and dry food
theres no such thing as too much water purification options
a top fav - https://safrax.com/
follow gut feelings about people
pray and ask God for guidance, protection and what we might be missing

get more coffee

 

[Morgan101]

For me there were two important lessons learned. First, SHTF, disasters, Mother Nature, things in general can go south in a heartbeat. Your life can be absolutely turned upside down faster than you can blink your eyes. A catastrophe can happen at any moment, and you have to be prepared BEFORE it happens.

Second, "prepping" isn't a fad, or something cool to do. It is a lifestyle. You should always be thinking ahead, looking at OPSEC, staying alert. It should become a part of your being.

 

[Supervisor42]

Pick a spouse that is also aprepper.

I never thought about that, but I picked a good one; she is a much better prepper than me.
She will bring in a car load of stuff and never even blink an eye.
I bragged in another thread about how well she has stocked us with TP.

 

[Canon29]

Modernity is evil and not what we are meant for. Most people are completely devoid of the ability to see any alternatives much less achieve them.

 

[Haertig]

I learned to take age and personal limitations into account. And personal desires.

e.g., I don't need to buy a super light high tech backpack, because I'm not going to be hiking anywhere very far. Used to be, 10 miles and a couple thousand feet elevation gain was an enjoyable day hike of a few hours. But recently I did 4-1/2 miles with maybe 600 feet elevation gain, no backpack, and I was really trudging along at the end. I couldn't wait for it to be over. I'm overweight and out of shape and did not find that day to be all that enjoyable (the first half - going downhill - was fairly nice though).

If I'm going to bug out - and I have no plans to do that - I'm realistically only going to be able to bug out as far as a motorized vehicle can take me.

I have also learned that with age, I need to consider how long I really want to live after the SHTF. I'm 67, so not young, but not exactly the crypt keeper either. Other than being overweight and out of shape, I don't have any significant medical conditions that might impede my survival. But still, over the last few years I have been evaluating how much money and effort I want to expend for survival in a desolate world. And yes, I consider a world without infrastructure, government, electricity, functioning society, clean water, etc. to be "desolate". Some may yearn to live in conditions like that, and in my younger days I was probably in that crowd too, but not any more. This recognition has probably had the greatest effect on my prepping. I don't bother to think "What am I going to need to survive for ten years?" I don't even think about five years from now. Or three years. I don't need to dedicate an entire room of my house to become a pantry of stored food. I don't need to buy three generators - one for use and two more for spare parts. I don't need to live on 20 acres so I can plant my own crops to eat. So my prepping has gotten much simpler just by realizing "I don't want to live that long in those conditions."

Everyone is going to have different ideas about how long they want to survive, but I think I have come up with a good idea of how long I'd want to survive - not how long somebody else tells me I should prep for, or how long they'd want to survive themselves. That's irrelevant for me, and I'm prepping for me, not for somebody else (other than my wife).

That's what I have learned.

 

[Alaskajohn]

Pick a spouse that is also a prepper.

And one who likes to live in the middle of nowhere and is a bit crazy like me. check, check and check!

 

[montanabill]

buying loads of stuff at estate sales just because you think it might be usable doesnt make sense anymore (after spending several thousand dollars plus too much work to get rid of it so I can get some home owners insurance) ..

What does make sense is buying new repair parts like O rings and snap rings and electrical repair parts and testers.

A freeze dryer makes food preservation and storage soooo much easier and much more tasty.

 

[EastenerWesterner]

Always had enough for small emergencies.

Did 2 Fire Evacs in 2018.1st just went to 7-11, ate Evac center food, sleeping in the truck.
2nd, was not going to fight LA traffic and the smoke. Just drove to a friends ranch near SD with the horse trailer.

2020 after ramping things up. 1st evac, no losses. 2nd a week later with the power out. Came back to 2 fridges and freezer to toss out. $600-1000 tossed

Really ramped things up..

Moral: Don’t ever feel confident

 

[lonewolf]

Modernity is evil and not what we are meant for. Most people are completely devoid of the ability to see any alternatives much less achieve them.

how true that is.

 

[Magus]

Too much emphasis on guns, not enough on mobility.

 

[lonewolf]

in British terms too much emphasis on short term not enough on long term.
UK govt has just put out a 3 day requirement for people to prep for an emergency, 3 days!, I could do that on canned rice pudding and canned corned beef.

 

[Jim Costa]

four things:

1) You sleep better in an insane world.

2) You can cut your total water demand in half by using the Human Manure method.

3) Rice and certain beans eaten within 8 hours of each other yields protein.

4) In emergency mode, egg noodles & rice should be your mainstay for calories.
They are cheap and store a very long time.

 

[Magpie]

Every day is a school day
Trust your gut
Food does not last as it should, and sometimes there are bad harvests, so plan accordingly
Mother nature will always win

 

[Magpie]

in British terms too much emphasis on short term not enough on long term.
UK govt has just put out a 3 day requirement for people to prep for an emergency, 3 days!, I could do that on canned rice pudding and canned corned beef.

I'm only seeing this @lonewolf
For others - the UK gov have launched a 'preparedness website'. Part of me is wondering why now; coupled with the new proposal for compulsory national service its a little unnerving.
The other part of me is thinking most country people have that anyway. Three days is useless.
What I don't see is an encouragement for people to grow their own. IMHO all housing estates should include raised beds, rainwater storage and a greenhouse in the garden, or a community garden. https://prepare.campaign.gov.uk/

 

[dademoss]

I'm not as young as I used to be, EVERYTHING takes longer and hurts more.

 

[Tirediron]

Yep , what Dave said, and if I had expected the world to last this long I would have taken better care of my body.

 

[randyt]

The little black grains in my rice are not rice...but if you're hungry enough you will eat them with the rice

 

[Patchouli]

I'm not as young as I used to be, EVERYTHING takes longer and hurts more.

Sorry, when I agree I mean all that about myself not you! I'd roll on the floor laughing but then I'd have to get up.

 

[Magus]

Yep , what Dave said, and if I had expected the world to last this long I would have taken better care of my body.

I was expecting to be dead in 98.

 

[LadyLocust]

Do not try to convince others to prep - they don't want to hear it, or be responsible for themselves. They want to live in ignorant bliss and whine when needed - plan accordingly.
As others have stated in some fashion: circumstances, needs and abilities change with time - plan accordingly.
Laws and what is currently socially acceptable will change (not for the better IMO) - plan accordingly.
There will always be more to do & learn - plan accordingly.
Even if you plan accordingly, there will likely be a monkey wrench thrown in - replan accordingly.

 

[dademoss]

Do not try to convince others to prep - they don't want to hear it, or be responsible for themselves. They want to live in ignorant bliss and whine when needed - plan accordingly.
As others have stated in some fashion: circumstances, needs and abilities change with time - plan accordingly.
Laws and what is currently socially acceptable will change (not for the better IMO) - plan accordingly.
There will always be more to do & learn - plan accordingly.
Even if you plan accordingly, there will likely be a monkey wrench thrown in - replan accordingly.

EVERY plan fails on contact with the enemy (Reality)

 

[Mountain trapper]

Plan on spending 2 - 3 times the $$ for anything that need.