Caffeine is a hell of a drug. So is sugar. They are both also quite useful. They can give you a serious pick-me-up IF you aren't hooked on them. If you are hooked on them and the SHTF then prepare yourself for blinding headaches and miserable lethargy (assuming that you aren't well stocked on coffee and Rip-Its).
I'm on vacation this week and I am weening off caffeine and sugar. I have a mess of energy shots in my larder and a couple in my GHB. They will work better if I am not an addict. If I am not an addict then they will allow me to stay alert for longer periods of time than if I wasn't. If I remain an addict I will need them just to function. Even well stocked I'm better off eliminating the addiction. Bonus: Cutting processed sugar is often enough to drop a few pounds all by its lonesome.
Being addicted to processed sugar and caffeine is a serious liability and one I mean to eliminate.
I'm out
-Willy FTE
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Your wife is an adult human being...
This one is for the straight guys specifically.
Your wife or girlfriend is an adult human being fully capable of making big girl decisions. Maybe not prepping is one of her decisions. It's one I'd hate but if you want to be with her your just going to have to work around it and respect her agency.
But this isn't about that. This is about those of you who share your life with a woman that sees what you see and worries about what you worry about; she preps.
Treat her like a doggone adult. She may have some pretty bad info based on a life time of being marginalized and held as inherently less capable. YOU may have some pretty bad info based on a life time of marginalizing women and holding them as inherently less capable.
I have news for you: some of the scariest and most capable people I have known in life have been women. Screw with them at your peril.
Here's some problems with solutions:
1) Women have fitness regimens marketed to them that are not good for anything other than being an ineffectual twig. This is Zumba. It's better than not working out I guess, but what she should be doing is the same thing that you should be doing: training for increased physical capacity. These are some capable women. I leave you to decide which ones you would rather have beside you. Notice that they aren't all bulgy and rippling with muscle. They look like healthy young women because they are. Crossfit,Starting Strength, 70s Big; all fine resources for learning more about increasing your ability to do work.
2)Women are generally told they want a snubbie or a pocket gun. That's the Zumba of shooting my friends. My pistol of a choice is a Glock 22. It has the characteristics that I am looking for in a gun: semi auto, a nice fat round, high capacity and RELIABLE. I believe that I need all of those things in a primary weapon. Why is my wife any different? She deserves a weapon that has all of the traits I just listed.
3) When a woman is given her 380 pocket pistol she goes to the range once a year with you while you take pistol combat courses. Seriously... WTF. She needs training just as much as you do. If she DOES have a worthwhile weapon (and she should) then she needs to know how to use it. Unless you happen to be a weapons instructor you probably need to get her to a few classes with you.
Does she have some interest in the topic but then her eyes glaze over once you start going on? Dude, you may be talking down to her. No one likes that. Give her information but don't spoon feed it to her likes she's simple; she's not. Unless she is, but that's different. My wife would have put a knife in me if I handed her a pink Taurus 380. Her favorite round is to shoot is .357. Some women want the pink guns and fine... whatever. At least they are becoming more capable. More than you imagine consider the pink pocket gun condescending at best.
Just a few thoughts. If your partner is your partner then you need to be able to trust them with your life. Even if she is interested she may have some learned helplessness to overcome. She's capable of being more than a dependent. Give her some room to grow and watch her shine.
I'm out.
Willy FTE
Your wife or girlfriend is an adult human being fully capable of making big girl decisions. Maybe not prepping is one of her decisions. It's one I'd hate but if you want to be with her your just going to have to work around it and respect her agency.
But this isn't about that. This is about those of you who share your life with a woman that sees what you see and worries about what you worry about; she preps.
Treat her like a doggone adult. She may have some pretty bad info based on a life time of being marginalized and held as inherently less capable. YOU may have some pretty bad info based on a life time of marginalizing women and holding them as inherently less capable.
I have news for you: some of the scariest and most capable people I have known in life have been women. Screw with them at your peril.
Here's some problems with solutions:
1) Women have fitness regimens marketed to them that are not good for anything other than being an ineffectual twig. This is Zumba. It's better than not working out I guess, but what she should be doing is the same thing that you should be doing: training for increased physical capacity. These are some capable women. I leave you to decide which ones you would rather have beside you. Notice that they aren't all bulgy and rippling with muscle. They look like healthy young women because they are. Crossfit,Starting Strength, 70s Big; all fine resources for learning more about increasing your ability to do work.
2)Women are generally told they want a snubbie or a pocket gun. That's the Zumba of shooting my friends. My pistol of a choice is a Glock 22. It has the characteristics that I am looking for in a gun: semi auto, a nice fat round, high capacity and RELIABLE. I believe that I need all of those things in a primary weapon. Why is my wife any different? She deserves a weapon that has all of the traits I just listed.
3) When a woman is given her 380 pocket pistol she goes to the range once a year with you while you take pistol combat courses. Seriously... WTF. She needs training just as much as you do. If she DOES have a worthwhile weapon (and she should) then she needs to know how to use it. Unless you happen to be a weapons instructor you probably need to get her to a few classes with you.
Does she have some interest in the topic but then her eyes glaze over once you start going on? Dude, you may be talking down to her. No one likes that. Give her information but don't spoon feed it to her likes she's simple; she's not. Unless she is, but that's different. My wife would have put a knife in me if I handed her a pink Taurus 380. Her favorite round is to shoot is .357. Some women want the pink guns and fine... whatever. At least they are becoming more capable. More than you imagine consider the pink pocket gun condescending at best.
Just a few thoughts. If your partner is your partner then you need to be able to trust them with your life. Even if she is interested she may have some learned helplessness to overcome. She's capable of being more than a dependent. Give her some room to grow and watch her shine.
I'm out.
Willy FTE
Female needs in a crisis
Odds are that you're a dude. Odds are also good if you're reading this that you have plenty of food and water ready to sustain your family during one of lifes' vicissitudes. That's awesome. Food and water is probably one of the easiest and cheapest things to do but also the most important.
You should have medicine ready to go, to. Pain killers and disinfectants for your family; antibiotics for your fish. You know the score. You're taking care of your family and your fish.
My wife is fully on board. I'm a really lucky guy. She shoots, she lifts, she preps and she plays video games so I'm pretty much the happiest man in the world. Since she can read the writing on the wall she has no issue telling me what she, as a female, needs that I as a male do not. Here's her current top 3 items that I wasn't stocking:
1)Pads and/or tampons. And not just whatever you grab but HER SPECIFIC PREFERENCE. The terminology can be downright arcane but find out what she's using and get a nice stockpile of those. When needs must the devil drives, but if you had to stick something up or around your ass for a few days a month and you thought one type and brand was more comfortable you'd damned well want that.
2) Baby wipes. It was already on the list but I probably didn't plan for enough. She specifically requested more. Bay wipes can help keep you clean. We used them in the Corps to wipe down our nasty asses all the time. You'll still smell like a bucket of dead guts if you're not bathing but you'll feel a good bit cleaner in the places it matters. This one is kinda cheating since I need them, too...but she needs them more. Their going to be popular in SHTF, so have enough.
3) Medicine for a yeast infection. Things that can lead to an infection include (among others): Stress, lack of sleep, illness and poor eating habits. Sound like any scenario you're worried about?
You have to make allowances for biological realities. I don't rate men and women as that different in their capabilities but there are some things you plain have to plan for. If your wife is a full partner in all of this it's really for the best. If not then make sure you have the above supplies ready for her.
I'm out.
Willy FTE
You should have medicine ready to go, to. Pain killers and disinfectants for your family; antibiotics for your fish. You know the score. You're taking care of your family and your fish.
My wife is fully on board. I'm a really lucky guy. She shoots, she lifts, she preps and she plays video games so I'm pretty much the happiest man in the world. Since she can read the writing on the wall she has no issue telling me what she, as a female, needs that I as a male do not. Here's her current top 3 items that I wasn't stocking:
1)Pads and/or tampons. And not just whatever you grab but HER SPECIFIC PREFERENCE. The terminology can be downright arcane but find out what she's using and get a nice stockpile of those. When needs must the devil drives, but if you had to stick something up or around your ass for a few days a month and you thought one type and brand was more comfortable you'd damned well want that.
2) Baby wipes. It was already on the list but I probably didn't plan for enough. She specifically requested more. Bay wipes can help keep you clean. We used them in the Corps to wipe down our nasty asses all the time. You'll still smell like a bucket of dead guts if you're not bathing but you'll feel a good bit cleaner in the places it matters. This one is kinda cheating since I need them, too...but she needs them more. Their going to be popular in SHTF, so have enough.
3) Medicine for a yeast infection. Things that can lead to an infection include (among others): Stress, lack of sleep, illness and poor eating habits. Sound like any scenario you're worried about?
You have to make allowances for biological realities. I don't rate men and women as that different in their capabilities but there are some things you plain have to plan for. If your wife is a full partner in all of this it's really for the best. If not then make sure you have the above supplies ready for her.
I'm out.
Willy FTE
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
eBay and Readiness
My house is full of useless crap. I'm not saying I'm on next weeks Hoarders, I'm just saying that if I WAS that I'm not the crazy cat lady.
My book shelves are full or RPGs (role playing games like D&D not self propelled explosives) many of which I will never play. Some of them have surprising value. This is where eBay comes in. Which is more valuable; collectible books or a better holster, an upgraded ruck sack or whatever you like? The answer depends on you and whatever you like,of course.
At the core of the issue is this: I'm having fun with prepping. It's a hoot. I like guns, I like tools and I like becoming more self reliant. My wife digs these things as well so this is pretty much a no-brainer for me. Even if I never NEED this food and gear I am hardly the first person to blow money on a good time, am I? Getting ready to go hiking and camping will be a snap at the least.
To me it is well worth it to clear some room off my book shelves and get some more gear and medicine.
Now I'm not clearing ALL of my bookshelves off. If power is intermittent in the future those board games and RPGs are a very useful tool for keeping moral up and staying entertained, but that is another post for another time. I'm just ditching the crap that I know in my heart of hearts exists only to make my bookshelves look fuller and me more sophisticated than I will ever be.
The point of all this? I'm betting you have some stuff that you don't use for anything, that you are never going to use for anything and that could be sold for a fast buck on eBay. What you use that buck on is up to you. Paying down your debts is likely to be as useful as buying ammo. Self reliance is more than having a ton of food, guns and useful skills. It's also being free and clear. Even if the economy melts down you are going to have to pay your debt. The odds of a breakdown so total that the bank a) won't exist or b) stops giving a shit about the money you owe them for the $10,000 worth of AR15 clones that financed through credit cards.... the odds of that are not in your favor.
Of course more guns and beans would be super sweet, too.
If keeping those boxes in your attic or those books on your shelves is truly important to you then you should keep them. But if you have stuff you aren't using and you could liquidate it you may want to give it a thought. If you DO have to bug out you ain't taking those books with you. If you don't then you got some nice gear or lowered your debt some, both of which are at least as valuable as whatever is in that junk box.
I'm out.
Willy FTE
My BOB is in here somewhere.... Credit to Wikipedia and whoever originally took the time to photo-document their mental issues.
My book shelves are full or RPGs (role playing games like D&D not self propelled explosives) many of which I will never play. Some of them have surprising value. This is where eBay comes in. Which is more valuable; collectible books or a better holster, an upgraded ruck sack or whatever you like? The answer depends on you and whatever you like,of course.
At the core of the issue is this: I'm having fun with prepping. It's a hoot. I like guns, I like tools and I like becoming more self reliant. My wife digs these things as well so this is pretty much a no-brainer for me. Even if I never NEED this food and gear I am hardly the first person to blow money on a good time, am I? Getting ready to go hiking and camping will be a snap at the least.
To me it is well worth it to clear some room off my book shelves and get some more gear and medicine.
Now I'm not clearing ALL of my bookshelves off. If power is intermittent in the future those board games and RPGs are a very useful tool for keeping moral up and staying entertained, but that is another post for another time. I'm just ditching the crap that I know in my heart of hearts exists only to make my bookshelves look fuller and me more sophisticated than I will ever be.
The point of all this? I'm betting you have some stuff that you don't use for anything, that you are never going to use for anything and that could be sold for a fast buck on eBay. What you use that buck on is up to you. Paying down your debts is likely to be as useful as buying ammo. Self reliance is more than having a ton of food, guns and useful skills. It's also being free and clear. Even if the economy melts down you are going to have to pay your debt. The odds of a breakdown so total that the bank a) won't exist or b) stops giving a shit about the money you owe them for the $10,000 worth of AR15 clones that financed through credit cards.... the odds of that are not in your favor.
Of course more guns and beans would be super sweet, too.
If keeping those boxes in your attic or those books on your shelves is truly important to you then you should keep them. But if you have stuff you aren't using and you could liquidate it you may want to give it a thought. If you DO have to bug out you ain't taking those books with you. If you don't then you got some nice gear or lowered your debt some, both of which are at least as valuable as whatever is in that junk box.
I'm out.
Willy FTE
OMG a New Keyboard Warrior!
What am I seeing?
I know what you're thinking: thank God, it's another know it all prepper. Well, here's the thing.... I'm new to all of this. In my sordid and feverish dreams this becomes a place where I can learn and others can learn from my painful mistakes and wasted money. I want people to contribute to this and make it a place where fresh meat can learn important lessons about basic and rational preparedness. Myself included. Talking about TEOTWAWKI is a fun thought experiment. It's just not very damned likely tomorrow outside of plague or massive solar flare. Even then I think you will see society bounce back faster than most anticipate.
Common topics will be basic preparedness, firearms, tools and knives and physical fitness. Once I am less likely to get myself and others killed the topics will become more complicated.
So on to the meat and potatoes for today.
Why?
Why am I doing this? Because I am a husband and a father in uncertain times. I don't think that I can count on the government or anyone else to take care of my family. I just don't. I think that anyone who DEPENDS on the police to save them fundamentally misunderstands their relationship with the police. I think that anyone who is counting on the federal government to save them slept through Katrina.
I'm a free man. It means I make my own decisions and face the consequences. It means I am armed (protip: having a gun is a good fucking idea if you are capable of acting like a grown up). It means being a grown-ass man. For the record I am equal opportunity: my wife is a grown ass woman and I would defy you to trifle with her.
What do I have to my name today? A basic EDC set up (knife, multi-tool, flash light, lighter and shortly my pistol), a bit of ammo, a Glock 22, some basic emergency supplies (para-cord, iodine tablets, emergency blankets, etc...) and about 10 days of food and water for the folks under my roof. I clearly have work to do.
What?
I need a plan. Tentatively the plan is as follows:
1) Get my pistol permit and a GOOD holster for my Glock 22.
2) Complete my wife's EDC less a handgun.
3) Get my wife a hand gun and pistol permit. She wants Ruger LCR. I lean more towards a full sized quality auto. 40 S&W is my preferred round.
4) Assemble get home bags that can be upgraded to BOBs.
5) Get a quality .22LR long arm. Squirrels. Yum.
6) The entire time this is going on we continue with getting a good cache of food, water, medicine and ammo together. We will also start attending formal shooting classes. I am more capable than most with an M16 or variant but I am not ignorant enough to think that my training with an assault rifle transfers right on over to be a defense minded civilian.
7) More advanced preparedness begins. I want a couple of 40S&W carbines that take Glock mags. The modern version of the old cowboy set up.
I am waaaaaaaaaay open to advice.
Where?
Bug in. I am anticipating bad times that leads to crime and a general decay of society not TEOTWAWKI. Abandoning my house is my last possible choice. I ain't a wilderness guy. I need to learn some wood craft but leading my family into the woods is only going to get us all killed right now. A man has got to know his limitations. I am sneaky enough in the woods but my wilderness skills are lacking and I know it.
When?
Let's be real here: hopefully never. Watching these shit-weasels in Washington, though.... How long can we keep doing the same disastrous crap and expecting it to work? Something that amuses me is the people who cry about how the politicians are risking the global economy yet they laugh at people who are getting prepared. So.... what? You know your head is on the chopping block, you know the guy with the ax doesn't give a single dixie-fried fuck about you and you are just going to lay there and complain?! Nice knowing you, dude.
Who?
Me and the fam. Plus a lousy mooch who lives with us. I kid; he's good people and fully on board.
Who ELSE? Well now... these are some things that I think are worth watching and reading:
FerFAL. The dude is wily and he has lived through SHTF. I bought his book and found it full of good ideas and things that I had never considered.
Sootch. He seems to have his dope dialed in pretty tight. He has some good thoughts on GHBs and whatnot.
70s Big. A good fitness resource. Get strong. Just do it. Be more powerful than the threat.
Crossfit. It's Crossfit. I think they could stand to be programmed... but it's better exercise than most of you are getting right now.
I'm out.
-Willy FTE.
I know what you're thinking: thank God, it's another know it all prepper. Well, here's the thing.... I'm new to all of this. In my sordid and feverish dreams this becomes a place where I can learn and others can learn from my painful mistakes and wasted money. I want people to contribute to this and make it a place where fresh meat can learn important lessons about basic and rational preparedness. Myself included. Talking about TEOTWAWKI is a fun thought experiment. It's just not very damned likely tomorrow outside of plague or massive solar flare. Even then I think you will see society bounce back faster than most anticipate.
Common topics will be basic preparedness, firearms, tools and knives and physical fitness. Once I am less likely to get myself and others killed the topics will become more complicated.
So on to the meat and potatoes for today.
Why?
Why am I doing this? Because I am a husband and a father in uncertain times. I don't think that I can count on the government or anyone else to take care of my family. I just don't. I think that anyone who DEPENDS on the police to save them fundamentally misunderstands their relationship with the police. I think that anyone who is counting on the federal government to save them slept through Katrina.
I'm a free man. It means I make my own decisions and face the consequences. It means I am armed (protip: having a gun is a good fucking idea if you are capable of acting like a grown up). It means being a grown-ass man. For the record I am equal opportunity: my wife is a grown ass woman and I would defy you to trifle with her.
Perfectly normal and healthy (credit to Doomsday Preppers, a dreadful little show from the tiny bit I have seen).
What do I have to my name today? A basic EDC set up (knife, multi-tool, flash light, lighter and shortly my pistol), a bit of ammo, a Glock 22, some basic emergency supplies (para-cord, iodine tablets, emergency blankets, etc...) and about 10 days of food and water for the folks under my roof. I clearly have work to do.
What?
I need a plan. Tentatively the plan is as follows:
1) Get my pistol permit and a GOOD holster for my Glock 22.
2) Complete my wife's EDC less a handgun.
3) Get my wife a hand gun and pistol permit. She wants Ruger LCR. I lean more towards a full sized quality auto. 40 S&W is my preferred round.
4) Assemble get home bags that can be upgraded to BOBs.
5) Get a quality .22LR long arm. Squirrels. Yum.
6) The entire time this is going on we continue with getting a good cache of food, water, medicine and ammo together. We will also start attending formal shooting classes. I am more capable than most with an M16 or variant but I am not ignorant enough to think that my training with an assault rifle transfers right on over to be a defense minded civilian.
7) More advanced preparedness begins. I want a couple of 40S&W carbines that take Glock mags. The modern version of the old cowboy set up.
I am waaaaaaaaaay open to advice.
Where?
Bug in. I am anticipating bad times that leads to crime and a general decay of society not TEOTWAWKI. Abandoning my house is my last possible choice. I ain't a wilderness guy. I need to learn some wood craft but leading my family into the woods is only going to get us all killed right now. A man has got to know his limitations. I am sneaky enough in the woods but my wilderness skills are lacking and I know it.
When?
Let's be real here: hopefully never. Watching these shit-weasels in Washington, though.... How long can we keep doing the same disastrous crap and expecting it to work? Something that amuses me is the people who cry about how the politicians are risking the global economy yet they laugh at people who are getting prepared. So.... what? You know your head is on the chopping block, you know the guy with the ax doesn't give a single dixie-fried fuck about you and you are just going to lay there and complain?! Nice knowing you, dude.
Who?
Me and the fam. Plus a lousy mooch who lives with us. I kid; he's good people and fully on board.
Who ELSE? Well now... these are some things that I think are worth watching and reading:
FerFAL. The dude is wily and he has lived through SHTF. I bought his book and found it full of good ideas and things that I had never considered.
Sootch. He seems to have his dope dialed in pretty tight. He has some good thoughts on GHBs and whatnot.
70s Big. A good fitness resource. Get strong. Just do it. Be more powerful than the threat.
Crossfit. It's Crossfit. I think they could stand to be programmed... but it's better exercise than most of you are getting right now.
I'm out.
-Willy FTE.
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