The biggest thing that has changed is that I have become torn between two worlds. Most of my family and friends are not preppers. I have one friend that is a wetland expert, and he studies survival, but we don't exactly coordinate.

I spend most of my time worrying about regular stuff, job, hobbies, socializing, sports, etc. and then I flash into prepper mode at different moments for different lengths of time. An example is that I have just come back to this board, after a number of months. I think the reason is that I bought a couple second hand generators the other week.

Getting used to a double life is confusing, sometimes rewarding and tiring. Once and a while, feelings about the need to prep are strong enough that I have an outburst to my wife, or close friends or parents about the importance of thinking about the fragility of our whole life support system that is the modern economy. I usually get supportive comments, but later worry about what they really think. I then realize that talking about is necessary but actions speak louder than words.

To sum up, it's been chaotic so far. I expect to do more planning and organizing in the future, so that I can turn my off and on acquiring of goods and food items and equipment into a more coordinated approach.

You have to stop kicking yourself for past decisions. Yeah, true it would have been nice to have that piece of land (given what you know now), but had you gotten it back then, you may not have lived the other life experiences (good or bad) which have made you the person you are today. Sometimes things happen for a reason. P.S. I'll bet your grandfather is/was still proud of you (you are your own person).

Well thanks buddy, I appreciate that, and you're absolutely right, things might have been different. I might not have the experience I have now. I do enjoy not having many responsibilities, so maybe I don't even know what I'm talking about.

Just recently I've been having visions of literally utilizing every square meter of land to get maximal output. Hell the farm isn't sold yet. Might take another five years. I can still work on small projects, gardening and such, experience is a huge plus, no?

Experience is indeed a huge plus, but experience comes from doing. We all have to start somewhere in order to move forward. Regrets are a waste of time, and time is not something you want to waste.

To be completely honest? Life hasn't changed much. I still work full time at a tech job (for the local utility), I live in the city, I socialize with friends and family where the conversations range from whining about our local sports team to my sister telling me in perfect seriousness that when the zombies invade, all familial loyalty goes out the window. (Seriously. Zombies are a 'thing' for her. Not prepping, but zombies, and since long before they became the Monster of the Day)

My material prepping is modest by comparison to a lot of the people on the site, and I'm certainly ok with that. There's enough water in the house for a week, enough food and sundries for a few months, and all the tools and toys required to do a much more thorough job than I do. I treat my prepping as a series of hobbies, not a full change in lifestyle amd with that in mind, much of my prepping is internal, and gathering knowledge. I collect books and read them, and even in a situation where I'm removed from everything material I've collected, I'm confident in my ability to work, and to be a productive member of a group with valuable skills.

Ultimately, my prepping goal isn't to bug in OR out, to survive alone or with a group of likeminded individuals. The first goal I have is to be flexible, and that's the largest change. Whether the lights go out, my house gets taken out by a tornado, I'm kidnapped by aliens and dropped in a strange land, the government folds up shop or the zombies rise, I'll no longer be helpless, nor clueless, and able to take what comes one challenge at a time.

I used to be fearful of an invasion, so called "act of god", government collapse but after the past 2 years (Ok 6-7 yrs) I have realized that the SHTF scenario is personal. Death in the family, loss of job, lack of $ for necessities... the last thing I ever want to do is worry about how I am going to feed my kids! Been there, do not want to be there again (thank you Mom for not letting us starve!) and have learned to forge for food and grow my own. I am more resourceful and more aware of what I have on hand.
I have upcycled many things because we could not afford new shiny things. We, as a family, are more resourceful and I really try to think of ways to use what we have.
7 years ago I would have snubbed my nose at a bag of bruised apples, now, I will cook, crush and can them. I have gone from buying the food in cans and saying "Ya I have enough for a couple of weeks" to "I will grow it, can it and enjoy it when I need it and not lose sleep over it." It feels like our whole house is an emergency survival kit that we live in. That feels pretty good.

The knowledge I have gained from everyone... on this group, on blogs, in books, even those whacko tv shows about preppers, I have learned something from everyone.
I still have lots to learn but, am confident that if one of those original fears happened, we would be ok as I have prepped for that as well. 🙂

omg Mama...long time no see. Missed you 🙂

🙂 Now back. It's been a rollercoaster ride the past 18 months but again a huge learning experience! Hoping to make it to some meetups and be here more often.

I have learned that you need to be prepared. Look at your every day life - you need more than food and water..........you will need electricity, light, warmth, form of currency (cash/precious metals/something to trade (ie) alcohol) and some form of protection (pistol/shotgun/bow/slingshot/bat....ect.....). I am a self sufficient hunter - birds (ducks, geese, turkeys), all kinds of fish, and deer.......know how to hunt, field dress and butcher properly!!

The only thinkg has changed for me is that I'm more broke! But sure feels good to know i have at least something.....im not that well prepared but hey at least I have something.

Since we started Prepping we treated it as a hobby and that's what I encourage others to do. When you can add something, figure something, learn something. We are never out of Coffee, Peanut Butter or pasta. We get to go hiking with packs more often. I look at the sail boats and remember I don't know how to work them and look at the train tracks and know if they go to my BOL or not. I help change peoples perspective about firearms and hunting. I change my own mind about people in my community after I learn what they do and how they help (or not) in a community.
But when little disasters strike there is a confidence around our house that is not shared by some of our neighbours. We are not at the pinnacle of preparedness, but we are good.
And then I try to help my neighbours.
Cheers

How my life has changed since we started 'prepping' in the 1980's...... ?
The most significant thing is that my husband and prepper partner died a few years ago. We used a LOT of our preps during his journey to the other side. It's expensive to die, even the eco-friendly, frugal way.
And all our children are grown up now with only one still living at home.
Now, I've been slowly building up my resources/preps again.
I'm glad that I am part of this forum to bounce ideas off of.

When things hit the fan for us in 2000, we lost almost everything, our commercial building, and our home. We did not loose our BOL.,thank my lucky stars for that. We moved up here to start fresh, with just a few thousand dollars in hand, to finish off the cabin and replenish our food stores. The food we had left, sure came in handy, as we had to buy firewood that first year. The move was made in January. Hubby and I landed jobs that barely kept our heads above water. After 2 and a half years of that he got a really good job at a big box store, where he even got a discount on purchases. He told me I did not need to go to work any more....stay at home and enjoy the country, for once. I did. Now , Hubby has a Neurological disorder, and is on a disability pension. I am still at home, but am a lot busier than I used to be as I am full time caregiver to him. Please do not get me wrong, I am not complaining, as the alternatives are a whole lot worse. Prepping is not a hobby, it is a way of life. We are no longer in the cabin, it was 325sq ft, just too small. We purchased an old double wide trailer, and dad it moved here, and it is wonderful to have some room again.......I am busy filling it up with , what else, food and other supplies. My big concern is our water source. We have a seasonal spring, which fills a 1000 gal tank up the mountain, and is plumbed to the house. We have run out of water in the past, so now have many 4gal aquatainers stored as well. I feel quite confident now, that we could live very comfortably in our own home, for about 5 months, I could never say that before. Cheers

I was already fairly prepared because of my 30 yrs. at sea, living and traveling on the water, but since I decided to Bug-out permanently 5 yrs ago I switch from sea to land, bought some mountain property on a SE Asian Island where its warm? from that time on I started prepping more seriously? I bought a cheap Mountain property, 8 miles/13 km inland from the Pacific Ocean and at 1500 Ft high, so I could handle any Tsunami. I decided a inexpensive way to get a safe home and decided to dig out a large Cave-Home apartment inside the mountain? We have fresh drinking water from a spring, starting organic farming and small animals for meat and eggs? I now feel I'm for 99% ready for anything, except maybe full Nuclear war, in witch case I would prefer to die fast instead off slow and painfull? We have food storage for 3 months, extra water stored inside and we (2kids) feel perfectly safe away from city life and so-called civilisation witch is in Moral decline worldwide?
Good luck to uou all, Caveman Joe

Since already start prepping early, not much has changed.
During disasters still managed to maintain calmness compared to the surrounding.

I guess I've always been skeptical with a pretty analytical mind towards mainstream mindset and consumerism. I've always been pretty self sufficient, as much as one can be in the burbs - cooking from scratch, being pretty frugal money wise, and fixing things myself or improvising. One way I think I've changed is that I've discovered it's more about knowledge and skills, not just acquiring gear. And I think twice before wearing impractical shoes to work now, since one day I might have to walk 2 hrs home in them 🙂

Another thing - and I'm not sure if this is a good thing or bad thing, really - is following some of the American blog sites regularly, I've noticed how focused around guns the prepper movement seems to be there, more so than Canada. I guess intellectually I knew that, but it worries me a bit, as a Canadian who doesn't own a gun and really doesn't want to own a gun. Hopefully I won't have to worry about that unless the SHTF and the Americans come up here or I move down there.

A pleasant change is that now some of my closest friends know my plans. I had feared they might think I'm losing it, but it turns out that they actually thought along the same lines and thought it was no big deal.

Another nice change is meeting people with diverse skills and knowledge. Even though I'm interested in lots of prepper topics, I know there's no way I'll ever get good at things like soap making or herbal medicine or permaculture or woodworking so it's cool that I've met people with those kind of backgrounds, through pepper get get-togethers.

All in all, I feel like my life has changed for the better and I feel more confident to handle minor to medium emergencies. In the past I've usually been the calm non-freaking out person, now I have more knowledge to back it up 🙂