The Sexy Side of Prepping

Yeah I said it and it may be gratuitous use of the word or it may be real.  Read on to find out.

From a very young age there are so many things that we prepare for in life.  We prepare for our first day of school by shopping for “school clothes” and supplies.  We prepare for exams by studying information so that when tested the knowledge can be recalled.  We prepare for dates by putting on our best clothes and putting our best foot forward.  We prepare for job interviews.  We prepare for buying our first home.  We prepare for health issues.  We prepare for a wedding…a child…a car accident…a shower…dinner…the list goes on and on.

The truth of the matter is that “prepping” is already ingrained into our everyday lives.  We are already a people that have been taught, by word, deed and experience to prepare for life events.  For  today’s purposes I am speaking to what is commonly referred to as “disaster prepping”, “WTSHTF prepping”, “survival prepping” or, most recently “doomsday prepping”.  Well let me tell you folks, when it’s put like that not only is it not sexy but it sure doesn’t sound like much fun or something that I would want to do.  Why would I want to subject myself and my family to living in a cloud of fear and paranoia about the end of the Mayan calendar, the zombie apocalypse, the murderous rampage my neighbors might go on if the local Wallyworld closes during an economic collapse, or a host of other terrors propagated by the media and fear mongers?  Let me be clear, I wouldn’t want to live in fear, I don’t want to live in fear and so I prepare for every day possibilities and that, in and of itself, prepares me for the crazy ones.

Food & Water:  Yes we need them to survive.  And…we enjoy them.  Many, if not most, of our actitivies can be connected with food – dates, business lunches, fast food playgrounds, holiday feasts, family picnics, etc.  Food is something we need and we enjoy.  There may indeed come a time when grocery store shelves get wiped clean (this happens already have you ever been to your local grocer on a Wednesday morning when they are having a great sale and everyone has their super duper coupons to compound that great deal.  There’s nothing worse than craving brown sugar poptarts and needing deodorant and not getting either because the extreme couponers got there before you).  It’s possible.  You need only look to areas that can get severe weather – many friends this year spoke of the crazy lines when severe snow storms or hurricanes were announced.  I also originally come from a state where the threat of a great earthquake is always in the back of people’s minds.  Having food and water is essential for when a “natural disaster” happens, for the possibility of a trucker strike, for the power being knocked out and stores not being able to ring people up.  Having your food/water storage gives you insurance and puts you ahead of the game in these scenarios.   Let me tell you when else it’s great to have food (and water – and other beverages) stored in your basement:  when you get laid off and are out of work for several months.  Having food in your basement allows you to sustain yourself and your family instead of relying on the generosity of friends or the welfare of your church or government.  There’s nothing wrong with asking for help – but there’s everything right about preparing yourself and having the confidence and dignity of knowing you are taking care of your own.  It’s also really great to have when unexpected expenses come up: $820 car repairs that take up nearly three months of your grocery budget (I should be on my mechanic’s Christmas card list for sure by now!), medical bills, roof repairs, etc.  In addition it’s really good to have “extra” food around when you just want to use your week’s worth of grocery money to get your hair cut and colored and buy a new bra so that you can feel like a real woman again instead of the frumpy wife and mom and disaster prep lady.  I can be a devoted wife, nurturing mom and responsible prepper and still enjoy a little vanity.

Weaponry:  Here is one that I leave to you to choose what weaponry best fits you, your family and your beliefs.  I am a believer In my second amendment right to keep and bear arms, and so I do.  I have no intention of ever having to use them.  And, I make sure that everyone in my house has respect for themselves and the guns and that they are trained to use them safely and effectively.  You may choose that having a firearm in your house goes against that you stand for.  More power to you.  If that’s your choice than be sure to empower yourself with other weaponry, taser, pepper spray, knives, etc.  and the simple and all important art of hand to hand combat and/or self defense.    Keeping yourself in good health, including, working out is important for your everyday skills and would be very important if you found you needed to flee someone, or if you had to hike a bit to get home.  And, of course, staying physically fit also keeps you…you guessed it…sexy.

Medical goods:  Now I’m not advocating that every person needs to have a surgery cabinet complete with sterilized scalpels, casting equipment and a dental drill (though if that’s your thing by all means go for it).  It is important to have a good kit of medical supplies.   Create a stash of basics including but not limited to pain killers, bandages in several sizes, gauze, medical tape, Neosporin, steri-strips, etc.  Also be aware of the different ages of people in your family.  If you’ve got small kids than be sure to have on hand medicines suitable for young children.  Essential oils are other products that I feel are important to have on hand for them very many medicinal and other uses.

Misc. goods:  flashlights, batteries, home tools, multi-tools, skills (sewing, crocheting, butchering, cheese making, basic construction, etc. )the list could go on and on about misc. supplies to have.  This however, if just an introduction to what you may want to begin with.  Ironically, in the middle of writing this on my computer last night a severe wind and rain storm knocked my power out and I learned the inconvenient way that it’s important to make sure that flashlights get returned to their proper places and to be sure to check batteries regularly!

Here’s the bottom line, prepping does not need to be rooted in fear, anxiety and stress. Preparing yourself and your family for unforeseen circumstances is something you are already doing in small parts with your health insurance, your car insurance, your life insurance, etc.  I’m simply inviting you to extend a little further in having some additional, tangible items on hand.  Don’t allow yourself to become overwhelmed with the thousands of dollars of supplies that people may tell you you MUST have.  Begin where you can with what you can.  Everyone can buy an extra bag of rice, some can buy an extra case of corn, others might be able to buy a one month supply of #10 cans of freeze dried food.  Prepare a list of what you want and then just take action with one item at a time.  Call it prepping.  Call it insurance.  I call it confidence.  Confidence in knowing that my family and I are prepared for a layoff, for an earthquake, for anything else that may come our way.  Confidence can give you peace of mind.  And hey, what’s sexier than a confident man or woman?

E.C.

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Comments

This gets my vote, very well thought out. Fearless prepping-I like it.

Thank you!

Is EC El Centro,Ca.

I agree, there's power AND sexiness in getting 3 months of food storage. It's not that we're too proud to receive help from others, it's that we are capable of doing this vital task for our family through small bits of effort and "give a damn". :)

I'm looking to be prepared for the Zombie Apocolypse!

Great information! I always have this on the back of my mind. I look forward to learning more!

Heck yes!

Get's another vote from me.

And another.

Woot woot! :)

Do you have a prepackaged food company you would recommend to help one get started?

Can I hire you to get me and my family prepared?

Very useful info.
Thank you!

Love It!

Totally gets my vote!

And Another Vote for Creativity!

A 4th Vote for Perspective and Inspiration!

And my 5th Vote for the sheer sexiness!!

A vote from me.

Love it, Elizabeth! voting.

Voting 2 times!

3 times!

Vote

Look at you, lucky recipient of all 5 of my votes. good luck!

Excellent points! "Doomsday Prepping" sounds so - fearsome! Thank you, Elizabeth, for sharing this enlightened, inspiring perspective.

VOTE 2

I just can't resist endorsing this again!

Just to be on the safe side, would it be wise to save a vote for myself?

LOL, you make me laugh Sid.

OK, five of five here you go.

This one gets my vote!

Very nice! Thank you for all the tips! I started my food storage build up this year and it has come in handy on those months where times were tough! I didn't consider some of the things you mentioned here though so thank you! I am going to save this and keep it in mind when I'm in store next time.

Another vote

Another vote because it was that good

This gets another vote from me. It doesn't sound like doomsday preparation to me. It's just being prepared. The fact of the matter is no matter how much we want to believe nothing bad will happen, we just don't know for sure. We have to take control of our own lives. Also if we prepare enough we can also assist our neighbors if needed. That's what neighbors do! :)

Nice writting

could not have said it better!!

I love how you remind us that we already prepare for everything already - just do it a little more in a couple more areas and boom badda bing! we're taking care of ourselves when the need arises.

I never got into the dooms day - zombie attack etc.....but have always been taught to save a little extra for a rainy day. That is easier said than done but I have to say, building on preparedness, that having a savings account for emergencies really puts me at ease and helps me sleep at night.

Oh yeah - and store real stuff....things that you can actually use. 50 cans of wheat for someone who has a gluten thing is NOT a good idea. Just sayin'

I just couldn't let this comment be posted without interjecting some clarifying information, lest someone be mislead. If a person has a gluten intolerance, wheat is STILL a very viable food source for several reasons, just a few of them being the following:
1) With the exception of extreme Celiac disease sufferers, wheat can be sprouted and then converted from a standard gluten to a vegetable that the body will respond to very differently than a gluten.
2) You can take it to the bank that there will indeed come a time in which a bucket of wheat will be worth more than a bucket of gold. As such, investing in wheat while the prices are good and considering that it's very simple to store for 30+ years, is at the very least a smart strategy for bartering in the future.
3) Whether we like the thought of it or not, we really shouldn't buy into the concept that we're only preparing for just ourselves. At some point amidst a crisis there will be others who will need our assistance and whom we would actually DESIRE to assist. That being the case, investing in wheat covers a great deal of nutritional bases as it can be a quality source of carbohydrates (breads, cereals, etc.), vegetables (sprouting), vitamins (sprouted wheat increases the nutritional value by 500-600%!), fiber (bran, wheat germ, etc.), and protein (wheat meat). It does so all while being one of the LEAST expensive resources for such needs available and of course with the long-shelf life feature. So, while I'm not a fan of people bringing things home which they can't and/or don't know how to use, wheat would definitely be one of those exceptions.

Vote for this one!! It's good, fun reading!!!

You can never be too prepared.

90 days is a good start and your needs may not come from a natural disaster. Being able to sustain yourself through unemployment or sickness is a comforting feeling.

Good luck E C. You get my votes

You. Woman. Strong.

So. Scout. Girl. & Boy.

Gnawing on lasagna. Thinking of how long tomatoes would take to grow. For the sauce. In the event of an infra structure meltdown. Thankful. And, I am liking the idea of Bryce. Fish is a healthy substitute. While toma-toes grow.

Ya gotta love. Clear. Women.

Insightful. For transitions. From flabby Americans. Militant militia surviving.

Nice take on it.

2 votes here.

3rd vote.

4th vote. I appreciate a little humor with my disaster prepping.

5th vote. Thanks.

I appreciated the above post and the topic upon which it centered. I am not just writing this comment because I was threatened with harm should I fail to do so.

You have my vote!

Voting!!

Great Information. Reminded me I need to restock a few things and check some expiration dates.

We all need to stop thinking somehow things will work out. Get ready now.

No matter what you can afford to do you can do this. Updating as we speak.

Voting so there will be no re evaluation.....

Vote

Vote 3

Good ideas on getting ready for any disaster. Natural and even sickness can impact your supplies. We all remember ww need to restock.

Be prepared. No one will do this for you so guess what? Get it going now. You will sleep better.

but there’s everything right about preparing yourself and having the confidence and dignity of knowing you are taking care of your own-Love that!! Very true! That's one vote. Four to go!!

In addition it’s really good to have “extra” food around when you just want to use your week’s worth of grocery money to get your hair cut and colored and buy a new bra so that you can feel like a real woman again instead of the frumpy wife and mom and disaster prep lady. I can be a devoted wife, nurturing mom and responsible prepper and still enjoy a little vanity. This made me laugh!!

Bam!!! Third vote!!

Here we go!!

Your comment is awaiting moderation.

Good luck!!

Vote 1

And 2

3

4

And 5 because E.C. rocks socks!

I like the idea of prepping for everyday possibilities vs prepping for the zombie apocalypse. Lol

Must get prepping!

Love!

Great ideas!

I have always felt overwhelmed when it comes to prepping. I like the idea of a little at a time....now if I can come up with creative places to store it all. Hmmm...

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one

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five - hope you win!!!

Love it! It is confidence and there is nothing sexier then a confidant man or women! So many people are so reliant on credit cards and everyone else and everyone here is probably confidant if ANYTHING ever happened everything will be ok!

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