About me umm!!! Well I’m based West Wales, I’ve been prepping for about 40 years
. I started with a very a basic survival tin, a sheath knife (well hidden from my parents, or so I thought!) and a pack of “Sun raisins” . Being brought up on military base s with the constant threat of nuclear war and invasion by the “ruskies” 
and ignoring the fact I was more than likely going to be vaporized in the first few seconds of any war (obviously easy to do when you are 6 years old) I decided I was going to “survive” and set about making plans. This waxed and waned over the years but looking back it’s interesting to note most of my “career/work” has fitted neatly into my subconscious and conscious desire to fore fill that early decision. By my late thirties I had spent time in the military, fire service and was a qualified medic. I also did a lot of camping, climbing, diving, foraging, gardening etc etc.About eight years ago I had the chance to “drop out” or maybe could be said “bug out”
so off I went!! the plan was to move to some land, totally remote and off the grid, build a log cabin and be as self sufficient as possible. With the experience’s and knowledge I had a massed over the years, Easy!!! My long term aim was to be 100% self sufficient (4 people and 10 malamutes
) for a minimum of a two year period. WOW What a learning curve, 
Generating all my own electric, collecting all my own water from rainfall and storing it and purifying it, no fridge, freezer, washing machine etc etc and looking after my growing family of Alaskan Malamutes. I ate road kill, I honed my hunting and fishing skills, along with learning about wild food, fungi and various other bits and bob’s. I had to re learn so much that we are taught/fed through life as the truth!!! LOL!!!! Food safety/hygene (what is real and what’s just food industry s**t to part you from you money), what we really need to be comfortable, especially at -12 C. I had too overcome prejudice and derision from so many corners, ironically most of all from close family and friends, the ones I also want to help and protect!! And now where do they come for the weekend away and a bbq lol 
. I have to say it has been one of the most challenging periods of my life and has been worth every second!!!Part of the plan was to have a 10 dog sled team with large wheeled two person sled for going off into the yonder (one of biggest forests in uk) for days maybe weeks at a time. Along with being prepped to “bug out” again
!! if the time ever came, to which end I have recently added in a 10 tonne ex army lorry which I converted to a rv/motorhome !! with generators, inverters, wind generator, water purifier, solar etc, and it will run on waste veg oil (as does my day to day vehicle, I also made/ran a biodiesel plant but sold it once I got to grips with 100% wvo) the lorry is now a totally stand alone bug out vehicle which you can live in pretty much indefinitely along with an all American 941 canner this is truly an awesome piece of kit and really wish I’d got one many years ago.Where am I now? Umm 85% there and the realistic view is, it’s probably as close as you get as there s always more too learn, more to do, more useful technology coming along (although 10 x more rubbish out there trying to separate you from you money!) and also an ever changing environment to survive in.
Why have I joined? Well to learn more (mooncups awesome
Not for me!!) and hopefully meet/communicate with like minded people and maybe help people avoid many of the mistakes I made along the way. I would like to say I have got to where I am today by a slow gradual organic process often on a shoe string budget while bringing up a family and by living it. When monies were short I used that time to learn and do stuff with my children to give them a flying start now they have fledged the nest and in survival terms regularly put me to shame with their knowledge and skills . I recently read at beginning of the 19 Century the average 11 year old could identify over 100 edible hedgerow plants.! Now that s what I called prepared!! It’s also interesting to note most “prepping” is just not new but its forgotten stuff, go back 80/100 years understand how people lived, look at their kitchens, pantries and larders and you have the key and more often than not without spending lots of cash!! One of the best prepping hand books I ever bought was a1913 tattered Harrods catalogue at a boot sale. 
), to watch mine is awesome, they love mice!!! And spend hours hunting them 
“ they adore salmon and squirrels !!