What are you prepping for?

[KILLASHANDRA]

Hi all. Am new to this site, but I have been prepping since I moved into my current home and discovered the first winter I was here that to be snowed in would be a yearly event and it has gained momentum since then. Whenever I have spare money I would buy a few extra cans or dried foods, in other words anything which would store for long periods. I never spend a lot of money on this but it eventually all gets used throughout the year then I start stocking up again in the autumn. My mother had a good store cupboard and so do I. This is an idea which goes back to biblical times when if you had excess you stored in the even of times of famine.

[Drama_Diva]

economic downturns/hyper inflation and severe weather.

[Bradthunder]

I came to prepping via a weird and wonderful route: UFOs -> Government Cover-Ups -> Conspiracies About Government -> NWO -> End Of Days Scenarios (Conspiracy) -> End Of Days Scenarios (Factual)

Basically I'm prepping for the same thing brought on by several situations and that is full-on social unrest. When this happens, for whatever reason, I can't forsee a recovery that will take us back to a world that we recognise. It will be like dominos once the first one falls. I think once society is broken, it will stay that way for a long time.

The catalysts for this...?
From a human-caused perspective then economic collapse as well as escallating conflicts arising from unrest in the Middle East affecting oil (and the economy) resulting in war.

Outwith our sphere of influence, I think the threat of a coronal mass ejection causing a massive X-flare like the Carrington Event of 1859 is very real. When you look around and see how utterly dependant we all are on electricity, it belies believe that our entire infrasrtucture has been allowed to grow so big and neccessary on something that is so fragile! I subscribe to Lancaster Uni's Aurora Watch as I love seeing the Northern Lights. Over the past few years, I'd be lucky to get one or two emails every six months. They arrive weekly now and as the Sun enters solar cycle 24, there's a good chance it could get worse.

That and Zombies. (As long as they are the slow, shuffling kind!)

[TonyAge]

Why not dig out the Risk Register for your area? A quick look will tell you all you need. There will be one and it is public domain so just ask your local emergency planning department.

Here is the one for the Thames Valley:

http://www.thamesvalleylrf.org.uk/getas ... mode=asset

I had input to this document, so it must be good.

That link now appears to be replaced by http://www.thamesvalleylrf.org.uk/_asse ... crr%20.pdf
(from http://www.thamesvalleylrf.org.uk/usefu ... ister.ashx)

[nickdutch]

I came to prepping via a weird and wonderful route: UFOs -> Government Cover-Ups -> Conspiracies About Government -> NWO -> End Of Days Scenarios (Conspiracy) -> End Of Days Scenarios (Factual)

A general pattern seems to be:

Prepare for Zombies.... get unemployment..... use the stuff you used to prepare for zombies to help keep yourself going until the new position finally comes up.

Or just prepare for one thing, and get another and find that you didn't need to prepare for what you thought you needed to and you get a better or alternative idea about preparedness.

[arnie72]

I am prepping for any number of things but am starting off small and prepping for power cuts / brown outs, civil unrest and bad weather causing food, fuel and power shortages. Then I plan to build up my preps to cover pandemics, major civil unrest and anarchy through to a global issue (solar flare especially). Trying not to be narrow and looking at the big picture of anything and everything that could happen!

[zues]

i am preparing for a economy collapse. when this happens there will be riots everywhere it is already happening all over the world seria, Brazil only a matter of time before it happens here. also preparing for floods since all over the world floods are getting worse buy the year and in places i never thought would flood like India a really hot country but still floods??.

i hope everyone is ready for when it happens and the best of luck to you all.....

[jansman]

You know zues, the economic collapse thing probably ain't far off the mark. When the Duchess and I got wed, our mortgage was 15.25%. Yep, you read that right. Now I have a friend with £190,000 mortgage. WTF!!!!! He told me last night he is crapping a brick in case interest rates move up. Let's face it, interest rates have been all-time low, so the only way, ultimately, up. That will leave a lot of people in more than a bit of a mess.
If you take all of the savers(and particularly the retired) their savings make nothing. During these times thos group of folks have had to spend invested capital to make ends meet. Bring in inflation-something else likely to move upwards- they will have less cash capital to play with, even though interest rates are higher.

My own position,as of lately, has pushed me towards more self sufficient ways. I have truly believed for the last 25 years that this situation will come. Here at Chez Jansman, we burn wood, keep a bit of livestock and grow a lot of fruit and veg. This has taken a lot of development,although in reality, not that much expense. My latest project is my micro-brewing, as we do like a little snifta! And that is very successful. It just keeps tough times a little more civilised

I think that the economy is the real and present danger. When that goes haywire, then you will be dealing with the zombie hordes , I think.

[metatron]

Economic downturns/unemployment, severe weather, rising prices of goods and services.

[dazz675]

It looks like western governments have overdone the quantitive easing and the bond markets are saying enough , any further and brokers may start selling their bonds before a likely crash and on a domestic level the economy is starting to look a little healthier bank of england may risk a small rate rise to offset QE . government borrowing rates have risen by a third in a few months..... the cost of food is rising year on year , ... never a better time to prepp as the world adapts to the peak oil situation...... hopefully we will all muddle through