Kit is only half the battle

[WarPrepper]

Just thought I'd do an early morning post about the importance of not only preparing kit but most importantly preparing you body.

1. Feet - your feet at going to be your most important mode of transport so yes a good set of boots is very important. They need to be broken in but not broken, waterproof is a plus but it has it's cons.
Several pairs of good socks are also important, especially if your feet sweat.
Foot care - most people on here I noticed don't include foot powder in their kits - don't underestimate it's necessity.

2. Fitness - now I'm telling everyone to run off to a gym but practical strength is just as important as CV.
If you can't fight you gave to flight. Not only that but when food is running low you will need you physical stamina to be able to go and get more food - maybe even fight for it.
If you fatigue easily imagine how tough it's going to be trying to fire your crossbows or air guns when you have the hunger shakes.

3. Layering - it's really good to have the best snugpak softie but it's easily out done in weight and comfort but 3 or 4 cotton /wool blends
If your cold and static layer up but if your moving strip off.

4. Food vs water - your bodies generally speaking can survive only 3days without water but you can survive without food for a couple of weeks. It's hard going but it's survival at the end of the day. So those that have 5 litres of water and 2 ration boxes - ditch a ration box and have extra water and a fishing kit or trapping kit. Or better yet learn to make exporation bags / solar still

5. Weight - you may have everything you need to live indefinitely in the field but if you can carry it let alone run with it then it's no good. - make sure you can at least jog 400m in full kit. It may be enough to get you out of trouble and you won't have to ditch stuff.

6. Mental - this will be the biggest killer - once you lose your concentration on the survival aspect then you lose the battle. Keep sharp - know where your kit is - know how to use it - know how to live without it.

7. Hostiles - this us my personal thing so feel free to ignore this if your not interested but i say thatcher SHTF then everyone has just become your enemy - people will steal, swindle, murder to get what they want whether they need it or not. So therefore my policy is out of sight, out of mind, leave no trace.
The last thing you want is people knowing where you are and what you have because at the end of the day 2 nights of no sleep and you won't be defending anything but on the other hand if you do sleep all they gave to do is sneak up and grab your kit.

All in all I hope I'm not teaching you to suck eggs but it's things to think about if you weren't already.
If anyone has opinions I'd love to know.

Remember once you've trained your body, then train with your kit, then train without your kit.
If you can do that you won't just survive - you'll thrive.

[Briggs 2.0]

Okay, but what exactly are you prepping for? Is it a chaotic, rapid decline into WROL where you envisage wandering through a war-ravaged, post-apocalyptic wilderness? If that's correct, I'd say you're well prepared!

I prepare by stockpiling food and water and use alternative means of power and heat so that I'm more self-sufficient on a day to day basis and should the SHTF I should be capable of looking after myself. I've not really paid much thought to the WROL scenario.

[lonewolf]

Hostiles - this us my personal thing so feel free to ignore this if your not interested but i say thatcher SHTF then everyone has just become your enemy - people will steal, swindle, murder to get what they want whether they need it or not. So therefore my policy is out of sight, out of mind, leave no trace.
The last thing you want is people knowing where you are and what you have because at the end of the day 2 nights of no sleep and you won't be defending anything but on the other hand if you do sleep all they gave to do is sneak up and grab your kit.

exactly, societal collapse and WROL are my main SHTF events to prep for.

[WarPrepper]

Okay, but what exactly are you prepping for? Is it a chaotic, rapid decline into WROL where you envisage wandering through a war-ravaged, post-apocalyptic wilderness? If that's correct, I'd say you're well prepared!

That's exactly it. Prepare for the worst and hope for less.
It's not everyone's plan or cup of tea but it's what I've trained and prepped for.
But the comments is much appreciated.
Excellent choice on sustainability. That should be everyone's main focus whatever their plan.

[DustyDog]

Excellent post warprepper, however, if you are single then yes i think what you are saying is spot on, not so great if you have families, especially young babies/children. Again i have said this in another post, it depends what you think the SHTF scenario will be. But however yes you are correct, no good having all the best prepping gear if you are couch potato and cant run ten yards, you have to be able to be able to walk the walk as well as talk the talk.

[nickdutch]

Im still working on the uphill struggle of No. 2. All my past few years of having done without sleep so that I could work pay my bills in a sedentary job hasn't been kind to my body. My weight training routine at home is going ok and I have stepped my total weight up on each dumbbell from 2.5 Kg, through 5 Kg to 7 Kg and I am finding this new weight a bit of a struggle (and may stay at this new level for six months), but it sure seems to be doing me good. I feel better coordinated and have more control over my body in general. My cardio workout seems to be getting better and I can do anything up to 1 and 1/2 hours on the elliptical now and my calves and glutes look more toned as a result, but not massive. My shoulders still need more work done on them at a lower weight to build them up, but all in good time. There is no rush to become a giant.
From a non shtf point of view, its a bit like preparing for being older still (me being 40 this year ) and I do wonder what my health will be like in old age and the state of the NHS when that time comes considering the Nation's finances. Not to mention it being as much about health in the short term future and all that jazz. maybe, just maybe, I could stave off heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, cancer and numerous other ailments just through living a healthier life.

[J23]

Im still working on the uphill struggle of No. 2. All my past few years of having done without sleep so that I could work pay my bills in a sedentary job hasn't been kind to my body. My weight training routine at home is going ok and I have stepped my total weight up on each dumbbell from 2.5 Kg, through 5 Kg to 7 Kg and I am finding this new weight a bit of a struggle (and may stay at this new level for six months), but it sure seems to be doing me good. I feel better coordinated and have more control over my body in general. My cardio workout seems to be getting better and I can do anything up to 1 and 1/2 hours on the elliptical now and my calves and glutes look more toned as a result, but not massive. My shoulders still need more work done on them at a lower weight to build them up, but all in good time. There is no rush to become a giant.
From a non shtf point of view, its a bit like preparing for being older still (me being 40 this year ) and I do wonder what my health will be like in old age and the state of the NHS when that time comes considering the Nation's finances. Not to mention it being as much about health in the short term future and all that jazz. maybe, just maybe, I could stave off heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, cancer and numerous other ailments just through living a healthier life.

no offence but it looks for me that you have no idea about training
tell me what's your target and I will point you towards proper direction. BTW - If you want to gain mass you need weight progression and training of whole body - also 1.5 hour of elliptical whatever it is won't add to your muscles

[ForgeCorvus]

I think what NickD is working on is tone, fitness and stamina rather then "Huge bulging thews and rippling lallies".
Hence lower weights and (presumably) high reps as well as the Elliptical (Nick, a linkto that if you can please)

Big muscles=/= Fit

[J23]

I think what NickD is working on is tone, fitness and stamina rather then "Huge bulging thews and rippling lallies".
Hence lower weights and (presumably) high reps as well as the Elliptical (Nick, a linkto that if you can please)

Big muscles=/= Fit

depends what you aim for - personally I aim for 75-80kg (at 5'10 height) of strong, well looking body. at the moment I ride a bicycle - over 10 miles a day 4-5 times a week plus I train for strength with 5x5 method - which will add some muscles as well on me - and which one is better? 80kg of weight at 20% body fat or 80kg at 12-14% of body fat? I won't get huge, I will get fitter and stronger
also whatever the aim you still need weight progression, if you'll stop progression of weight you will stand still, and one more thing - training only 1 muscle - for example biceps is pointless in my opinion, you need to train whole body - chest, shoulders, biceps, triceps, abs, back, legs - and here is 5x5 idea: http://stronglifts.com/5x5/

another idea to get fit is crossfit - there are many people who say it is bad for you, but I've been doing it for a year and did enjoy it. I was way fitter than I am now, I was strong, fit, happy

of course If you want to start training it is good to start with somebody experienced or to go to crossfit club (expensive but cool and there are no age restrictions - you will meet people of different age and social background) - at the moment I see people who train on their own and they ruin their health as they do exercises in wrong way, they ask for health problems

[nickdutch]

As far as fitness is concerned, i am grateful for any progression that I can get in the limited time and energy that I have. If you think that my work used to involve doing without sleep and having no time to look after myself just so that I could afford to eat, you will understand that my body was in pretty poor shape. When I first got the elliptical (i think it was ) a little over a year ago, I couldn't even do five minutes on the thing. This is why i was so pleased that I could get up to 1h30 min. it shows that I have gained in fitness and I was concerned about cardio health long into my future, so it was a good thing to notice that my cardio health had improved. After a time and with discussion from people on various fitness forums and watching numerous youtube videos on the subject, I then came to my own conclusions as to what I wanted. SOME basic strength, to look a little better then I do now, to stave off cancer, diabetes and other diseases in later life and to improve my immune system.

I learned about rep ranges for my dumbbell exercises and I do train them all because I want a body that will become all around useful. Yes, we all want to look like arnold, but the fact is that that probably isnt going to happen and anyway, am I training to be a hollywood movie actor or just to be me but better?

The fact of the matter is that I have some progress, I have more body confidence in that i know that I can do more than I used to be able to and I am happier and healthier in myself.

As far as the subject of this forum is concerned, one could say that i am preparing for the NHS to be more privatised and health care to be more expensive in the future. Thus if I can build some health now, I will be less likely to be ill in the future and need the NHS.