I was a Boy Scout in my youth and the motto for the Boy Scouts is "Be Prepared". It is a motto that I have lived everyday since joining this fine organization.

There are as many reason to "Prep" as there are choices of shoes. Economy, Super Volcanos, EMP, Oil and gas and yes, even Zombies; just to name a few. All who prep for these events share one common goal. To be prepared.

I see nothing wrong with being prepared. But be prepared the right way.

Now, most people don't live in a rural area as I do. I have access to ponds, creeks, woods and freash water wells. What does that mean for me? Well, it means I have available food, water and firewood at my disposable. It also means I have to worry about other things. Such as medical supplies and defense. Lucky for me, I was an Army Combat Medic and am still the "First line" family Doctor. I keep a healthy suppy of medical supplies to enclude medications.

Now listen because this is important to remember. (Medications do not go bad as soon as the expiration dates hits. They can be used in emergencies for up to 10 years. So don't throw them away. ALWAYS keep medications out of sunlight and keep them in a cabinet.) Note that I said in cases of EMERGENCIES.

My defense problem. People will want what I have. I have a various weapons. From blades to firearms. Knives are a no brainer. You don't have to reload a knife. But you do have to keep it sharp so make sure you have a couple of good sharpening stones. Stones, not those "pull across the blade" type. A good start for anyone wanting to get fireamrs can vary. I will give you my list below with reason why.

.22 cal: In a rifle and if possible in a pistol as well. You can go to any Pawn shot and pick up a .22 rifle for $100 bucks or less. You can kill anything with a .22 if the shot placement is right. Plus, the ammo is CHEAP and you can buy it in bulk. Which means you can practice, practice, practice. I own 2 .22 rifles and 2 .22 pistols. Why? Because my wife and kids can use it without the worry of recoil (how much the gun kicks).

12 ga shotgun: This is a no brainer. Same as the .22 you can pick one up in a pawn shop fairly reasonable. anywhere from $100 to $400. It is as versitile as the .22. Ammo is fairly cheap. With Slugs, buckshot and #6 bird shot, you can use it for a lot of things.

Hunting Rifle: 30-30 (Lever action), or 30-06. The reason I chose these 2 is because you can find the ammo everywhere. Plus, both will kill and large game animal. These price out to about $300 to $1000. Depends on what you want and how much you want to pay. Also, (VERY IMPORTANT) I would spend no more than $500 on a rifle. But the real meat and potato's of any hunting rifle is a GREAT SCOPE. Don't go cheapo on this. Leupold is my brand of choice. Price: $300 to $700. Yeah, I know but they are worth it.

M-4: Now you are getting into some money. $800 - $1,600. This can be used for hunting as well but it is a primary defensive weapon. Ammo is moderate in price but to buy a lot of it will hurt the ole pocket book. You will also need to buy extra 30 round magizines for it at $30 to $40 a pop. If you go this route I suggest you own no less than 10 extra magizines. Use the standard 30 rounders, don't fall for the 100 round drums. If the military doesn't use them... there is a reason for it. There is one down fall, you have to keep it clean.

AK-47/SKS: My loves. These two rifles are defense and hunting as well. but mainly used for defense. There are many versions to chose from but I have a Romanian WASR 10 AK and a Norinco SKS from the 80's. Nothing added to them. No replaced stocks. Same as they were the day I got them. Ammo is cheap and you can buy it in bulk. Plus both use the same type of ammo (which I will go into later). These two rifles need very, VERY little care. They will shoot cheap ammo just as good as expensive ammo. You may hear or read a lot of bad reviews on the WASR 10, but you will read just as many good reviews as well. I have had mine for over 10 years and love it. Plus with the cheap ammo price, you get to practice, practice, practice with it.

Here is my theory on buying weapons. Have weapons that can use the same type of Ammo. Trust me. It's cheaper to by for 3 different calibers than it is 10 different calibers.

Well, I will end it here. If anyone has any questions or comments let me know. Better yet post your own topic.

Hope you enjoyed reading this. As usual, more to come. Remember, Be Prepared!

Paul

Hey P. I've got a 380 for the wife, a 38 special for me, a 12 gauge home defense pump and getting a 22 lr with scope. we're working on food and water storage now. We've got all of the tools we need. We have tons of firewood cut and more available. We're almost done with medical supplies and then we'll be working on solar power for lighting, refrig and well. Its freakin expensive. I love this kinda stuff. Check out my site I have alot of links and videos and even a buy sell and trade section. I'm looking for 2 used bows could be compound, recurve or long bow. Have a great thanksgiving Sapper

Hey P do you have a list of basic meds and medical supplies that you should always keep on hand?

I would also recommend that you have as many survival, medical and food/water instruction manuals as possible. The air force has one on the net that's got alot of info and is alot of paper. I purchased one for survial, medical and food for about 12 dollars and have printed off others. The info is invaluable if you ever get into a SHTF scenarion. Remember faraday cages for your electronics. It may not be a solar flare that does us in but it's a possibility. I just purchased an aluminum garbage can. You can also use heavy duty aluminum foil.

Seeds are really important also. If you have a 6 month supply of food, seeds and a steady supply of water whether from a lake, pound or well then you will be set in any situation at least for water and food. I have 40 different kinds from tomatoes to lettuce and squash.

All good stuff Cher.

If you rack up on seeds make sure they will produce "replanting" seeds.

As far as Medical supply stocks. I keep tylenol (Pain and Fever[they can kill]), heartburn, and any antibiotic by the bottles. If you have refills but don't need them....get them filled and save them. Being a medic, I have bandages out the yin-yang. Also keep some type of neosporene in high stockage.

Get portable water filters. They are a little pricey, but will be worth it in the long run.

Yes. Get your hands on any survival military manual. Also find a copy of the Boy Scout handbook.

Also, Bows and arrows are must haves. Bullets will run out. and Bows are very quiet and powerful these days. I have a BowTech compound bow that shots at 316 fps.

I saw something the other week on the '37 items you need to stock up on in case of an emergency', and it wasn't talking about MRE's & water. It was supposed to be a comprehensive list of things you should have that would disappear from store shelves quickly in the event of a castastrophe.

Is anybody familiar with a list like that? I can think of medical supplies, canned goods, bottled water and some basics, but not a real comprehensive list.

What should you have on hand as a 'New Prepper' in order to be ready for stuff like the power grid going down, the US economy/dollar crashing, war/revolution, et...?