Do what works for you!
Obviously I simply can’t suggest that you ignore all the sources of information for preppers out there, that would be somewhat self destructive for me. However, doing what everyone else seems to be doing, just because they are doing it doesn’t mean it is the right thing for you to do.
Many preppers have fallen into this trap, myself included at one point in time. We find a resource on Youtube, or a blog, or Facebook, and just keep copying what they do. Perhaps it’s a regional thing, maybe you find the presenters sunny disposition appealing. Whatever the reason, don’t just follow them off a bridge and into the river!
Like I mentioned earlier, I’ve fallen into this trap myself. Backyard chickens were the “in” prepper thing to do. Almost every prepper related youtube channel, blog, message board, etc. was telling us all that we NEEDED backyard chickens for fresh eggs and meat. Well, I fell for it. While I did get about a year and a half of all the eggs I could handle from four hens, there was no light at the end of that tunnel. Without living on a farm, there was no way on earth I was ever going to be able to own a rooster, which as we know is needed to keep a flock going once the hens got to egg retirement age of about two years old. I found myself feeding my newfound pets, that no longer served any purpose. Home butchering is also out of the question. I eventually found a nice lady that would take care of them and truck them around in a mobile petting zoo business that she ran. It was obvious to me at this point that I hadn’t thought the whole thing through and got caught trying to keep up with the Jones’.
Another fine example is the tealight flowerpot heater. The idea being that burning tealight candles under a couple of overturned terracotta flowerpots could heat a room in winter. If you are thinking of doing this, FYI, a tealight candle will barely heat a cup of tea let alone a room, no matter how many flower pots you use.
One prepper friend of mine spent a lot of time, money, and energy packing food in bulk into five gallon buckets. After a while it occurred to him that this was a huge mistake as the food would start to deteriorate once these buckets were opened. That’s fine for a large group, but how many banana chips can an average family eat? More time, money, and energy was spent repacking those buckets into smaller packages. Why did he do it that way? Because that’s what all the prepper resources were saying we should do.
Let’s not forget the ever growing number of gear reviewers out there. Do as these guys and gals say, and you will find yourself constantly upgrading your flashlights, knives, multitools, even vehicles at a moneywastinly alarming rate. There will always be a newer, more efficient, and often more expensive version of something that you “need” to get or risk dying!
In the end, all those resources have some pretty good ideas, and for the most part, those projects and gear work for them, but perhaps not for you. Glean the info, consider your options, and do what is right for you…not that guy on youtube.
