I am new to this forum but I am not new to prepping. I have interesting friends through out the province and in sask who are believers but not getting much in head way to prepping. I have the sandard supply of arms, security, and food and water and seeds. i also have the basics to create my own supply of energy I will be putting my panels together this summer. I am learning how to make cheese and have a good supply of the ingrediances need. also have started extreme pressure canning that will make meats, fruits and vegetables last for years, as well as drying foods.

I will be starting on an faraday box so I can put my electonic communication devises in them in case of a emt burst. If you dont have one yet you can make them for really cheap. Buting them over the net is costly and not much better that what you can make from the dollar store.

How is your prepping coming.

Hi RobinC
I saw your post and noticed the extreme pressure canning. As my canner is just upstairs awaiting its' turn to process another 6 quarts of chicken to put away, I was really curious about "extreme" for some extra storage time. Would really like to know how it is done....
Thanks

Hi: Extreme is the term I use for high heat and High pressure canning. When I was young my mother taught me to can with those large blue spackle canning pots that only boil the food in the jars to boiling point. This boiling does kill most of the bactieria and any other harmful problems that are in the foods but for low alkline foods like meat you are playing with possible contaminations. With a large pressure cooker that has a gauge you can pressure cook the foods at a heat of 240 + and pressure it at 15lbs+ psi. This is suppose to be the saftest way to can meats with all bacteria and other nasty stuff killed with no doubt. The pressure also seems to keep the meat in the jar longer then the convential way without discolouration, flalour lost, or nutitional lost. I learned this from an incredible woman from Sask. Who has been doing this for years.

Robin

Currently we have a small arsenal of weapons built up and food. I was brought up by my very traditional grandparents who taught me some very basic homesteading skills and have been reading up and experimenting on more. There are not a whole lot of people in my immediate circle of friends and family that take prepping seriously and haven't taken any preventative measures in case shtf. That being said I am not where I would like to be in regards to plan a b and c or stockpile but i am working on it and would like to find people that I can learn from and vice versa. I want to know that I can have a back up plan in the area if civilization as we know it were to end. My thought is what good will prepping do if we are alone in the aftermath? I don't know everything that i would like to but its not to late to learn.

Hi Mamaprep. Alone is a relative term. There will always be people around. Some who prepped and lived because of the knowledge and resources they had. Others will be around because they were flexible and adapted to the new normal. Being here you will come to know others in your area who have similar thoughts and ideas and hopefully will be able to work together with you now and in the future. I honestly don't ever see a world with 1 or 2 survivors per 100 square miles.

I no we would never be alone, I meant more along the lines of if there were a communication breakdown and it was just my family away somewhere I would want to know where others I could trust would be. People with the same values, kids to keep generations moving and the like. If I don't know I don't think I would leave a secure location for what ifs

I agree with your sentiments. To learn about others we can trust in a SHTF situation is one reason many are here. To meet, network and develop relationships that we can fall back on if needed. Also to buld and share knowledge and ideas. It's all a win / win for most.

I am new to prepping and I have a young family also. I know how important your family is when SHTF happens. I have went a job change to prepare and get training for the what if scenario. My wife does not know my true reason to do what I am doing now. I am just preparing myself to help them and other when needed.

I would like to know more about preping but lack of funds make it slow for me to aquire items needed. I only have things I can use to survive out in the wild. No food but tools to aquire food and make shelter.

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I am new to this forum but I am not new to prepping. I have interesting friends through out the province and in sask who are believers but not getting much in head way to prepping. I have the sandard supply of arms, security, and food and water and seeds. i also have the basics to create my own supply of energy I will be putting my panels together this summer. I am learning how to make cheese and have a good supply of the ingrediances need. also have started extreme pressure canning that will make meats, fruits and vegetables last for years, as well as drying foods.

I will be starting on an faraday box so I can put my electonic communication devises in them in case of a emt burst. If you dont have one yet you can make them for really cheap. Buting them over the net is costly and not much better that what you can make from the dollar store.

How is your prepping coming.

? Robinc...if there is a EMT, EMP and the power grid is taken out...will there be any reason to have electronic equipment put in a faraday box? If there is not power and if it would take decades perhaps to build new transmitters and have some power again? I don't quite grasp the faraday plan...I've heard of it..please explain it for me. Thank you!

Communication lines through traditional means could be compromised, but there are other options for radio communication that don't rely on phone lines, etc. People have stayed in touch by shortwave radio and there are some newer developments that are quite interesting. Well worth some thought is investing in radio equipment, and getting a license.
Antsy: the Mormons as a group always encourage their members to be prepared and suggest 1 year of food storage. They have never talked about in terms of global catastrophes but in a less threatening manner. As one of their members told me, there is a high regard for self-sufficiency in their Church and a belief that you should be the one helping out others who didn't think ahead and not being on the receiving end. I believe, if I am not mistaken, that the Thrive freeze-dried and dehydrated plant is in Utah and there may be some Mormon connections due to some of their material. If I am wrong, please accept my apologies! They are quite willing to help other non-Church members through their Provident Living program. Near Edmonton, they have a storehouse where you can purchase mylar bags and 02 absorbers and are quite willing to assist with information and even booking some of their facility to assist with canning in a commercial style machine. I have found them to be incredibly friendly and easy to deal with including helping source out other products. They have locations in Lethbridge, Calgary, Sherwood Park and Vancouver, I believe.

We are still quite new to the whole prepping thing as well. The food hasn't been veryexpensive to stock pile nor seed stores. The weapons however are another story. My main goal here is to meet a few individuals and families like ours that I can network with and maybe hammer out a back up plan or just share info. Everyone knows something that someone else doesn't and it's never to late to learn.

MamaPrep, if given the chance I would love to have a talk with you and others about preping and get a good network going and to know people you can go to and trust when shtf happens or any disaster.

I got some ideas of what is needed. Hope you all find this helpful.

Transportation
Don't forget you need a vehicle capable of some off road driving. I am not talking about a huge truck with all the bells and whistles. Something that is close to stock (in case you need to fix something) something like a V6 SUV or truck with topper/camper. If you think fuel is not a problem in shtf and have alot to haul then by all means go with a V8. Smaller vehicle can move more easily vs big vehicles.

*With a vehicle you can pack alot more comfort items than compared to my brief PBOB explained below*

This is for a basic Personal bug out bag.

Guns/Ammo
Standardization for your family is a must because hauling a bunch of different types of ammo and when it is time to reload sucks.

22lr
From my extensive reading I feel that having a ".22lr" is a must. Rifle or Handgun, both if you want. Ammo is cheap, plenty and also light. Mainly for hunting small game but also can be used in other manner if needed.

12ga pump shotgun
I'd go for something in the range of 14" barrel for easy to pack and haul around. Pump because it is reliable and simple mechanism to operate means little to no malfunctions. A big variety of loads for whatever. I like 00 Buck, 1oz Slugs, and even wax slugs. Can also be creative if you have a reloader as long as it is legal before shtf. Post shtf, I don't think it matters.

.223/5.56 rifle or Ar15
These are debatable on how reliable they are in shtf. But for me I think it would be a pretty good option since the army us and canada uses M4/M16 which most parts are interchangeble. Magazines and ammo will be easy to find. Good mid range, and lots of options to add on it. Just remember to have extra Bolt carrier group and other small parts to replace unless you find one lying around on a dead army guy. Then problem solved.

Handguns.
I prefer .45acp because more force per hit. But if you don't think your a good shot then go with 9mm for more ammo per magazine.
Again, 9mm is widely used by law enforcement and military. .45 is less so common.

The need for a Long range rifle is up to your needs. For me, I prefer to stay away from a gunfight so getting away and hiding from potential predators/looters is best so you can conserve ammo and also much safer than confronting a bad situation. So a mid range rifle with a close quarter shotgun and 2 secondary handgun is what I would go with for a single person. For a family you can double up the handguns and get a Long range rifle like a .300win or .308win why those calibers? Surplus ammo is plenty and cheap nuff said.

Ammo. have only enough that you can carry on you. You have to put into consideration what will be used more.
For me I would do
500-1000rd of rifle ammo.
200rd shotgun shells.
500rd .22lr
300rd 9mm or 45acp

why you might ask? It all depends on your needs and how much you can carry in a backpack and or tactical vest.

Food/Water
I know that canned food is good to have but I am thinking if you needed to run and bug out. There is no time to sit and eat something from a can. I found a website which sells energy bars about 400 calories per bar and real cheap, cheaper than the Clif bars and more calories from a Canadian website. http://www.beeprepared24-7.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=53
They are more time efficient than MREs, but I am not saying don't buy MREs. Lots of options out there, but if I were to throw some food into my bugout, it would be these.

Water is always a big one. Have a aluminum container one that you can use to boil water. Have a few different types of water purification items, like iodine drop or purification tablets and filters. Collapsible bag.
A few bags of Emergency water. 2 per person per day. Input some more ideas if you have.

Fire/Shelter/light
Basic, have a bic lighter, matches, and a Swedish fire stick. Some lint and other form on tinder. Candles, glow stick. Flashlight. Have a few per person but at least have 1 main one which gives good light, the others can be smaller flashlights. I'd say 3 flashlights per adult. Extra batteries!!
Shelter can be a poncho or a tarp. A military surplus one would be great, all you need to do is cover yourself from the rain. Shelter can be made easily with the proper knife or axe. Some cordage. have at least two 50ft' length. There are alot of small odd items that fit into this category to list them all.

*This is my standard of a PBOB so any input from you guys is great just don't flame me*

Please note that you need to set a limit so you don't overpack. Stick to 50lbs max and adjust your items around to fit what is essential. In the Canadian army, rucksack for 3 days is alot heavier and there are no food or ammo in the ruck. Remember that you need to be able to move.

I understand that there is a meeting coming up next month, but I will not be able to attend. I would love to see something along those lines set up here. It doesn't have to be a full blown meeting, I was thinking more like a get together of people who share similar beliefs and ideas. It's hard to find people who prep openly around or who are open to the idea. If anyone would be interested in getting together for coffee or something similar let me know.