Preparation
This week I got an eye opener. We are always worried about how well prepared we are, do we have enough food, water, weapons, ammo, etc... We try to prepare for everything from natural disaster to the apocalypse. But are we really prepared? Do we really have what we need? This week in southern West Virginia mother nature handed them the old one-two punch. It rained 9 inches in 6 hours. Then the flash flooding and the devastation began. There are people down there who have lost everything except the clothes on their back. So how prepared were they? It's West Virginia. The people in that state truly believe that they are on their own, to begin with. They don't expect FEMA to come in and help them. They help each other. I have seen this as the shop I work in began in less than 12 hours of the disaster. through the modern ways of social media, the word was put out for help. Within 24 hours a crew of people and trucks were on their way to the devastated areas with several tons of supplies. This is how they roll in that beautiful state. They believe in each other and they go.
Now here in lies, the question, are we really prepared? I am looking at first hand what happens when mother nature takes over. Your storage can literally be moved and carried away. Your home, your clothes, even your vehicle, gone. How on earth do we reach a level of preparedness that will carry you through this. This was not a flood zone. This was mother nature. You could build a big concrete wall around your house. Fortify everything so nothing can happen to it. But the reality is that most people can't do that.
Let's start with a simple thing. Don't put all your eggs in one basket. How do we do this? Most of us have a home or Base of operations. We really don't have another place else to put extra storage. Well, Yes you do. Most of us have a job we go to, somewhere away from our home. How far away can vary. We also have friends and family. Not all of these things are in the same place. I have several friends that live within a 40-mile radius. So how do we do this without interfering with their lives? Ammo cans. There is still a surplus of Ammo cans. They are water and air tight or they can be. They are small and portable. So let's start by utilizing this to work for us. You can very easily take some clothing and fill up a 20 mm ammo can. We are not talking about your wedding dress. We are talking about essentials. Undergarments. Jeans and shirts. A blanket or two. A pair of boots or sneakers, Boots would be better. You can then take a can and fill it with a first aid kit, toiletries. Medicines. Of course, you need to make sure that you keep this up to date. So if you lose 20 lbs you need to have stuff you are going to fit into. Dates on the products you store should be good. It's not hard to do either. Then you can ask that good friend to hold it for you or put it in a place that you know won't go away with floods or other natural disasters. Label it. That way if something goes down you can leave a standing order. " Hey bro, if something goes down please get these to me as soon as possible."
Ammo cans are cheap, You can pick them up one or several at a time from various places. I, fortunately, have quite a few already, And my local gun shop, or the shop I work in carries them. $20 will get you one or two. Start small, but think ahead. Clothing, Meds, Toiletries are the first things you will probably need. Next will be Water, then Food. Yes in that order. We will cover ways to get that taken care of as well in the next segment. (Here's a LINK to some affordable ammo cans)
Please keep in mind, This can happen at any time with Little or NO notice. So let's do this on a budget and in order, and fast. We are going to attack this one thing at a time so we can help you be more prepared without blowing the bank account.
So there you have it straight from the gunsmith's mouth
