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Prepping For SHTF in the Wrong Order

Prepping For SHTF in the Wrong Order
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After talking to a buddy of mine, we came to the realization that most preppers stockpile in the wrong order.

When people get into prepping, what is the first things they start stockpiling?  Most people lean towards stockpiling firearms and ammunition first.

Why do most people place buying a firearm at the top of their list?  Maybe its the sense of security that owning a firearm provides?  Maybe its the idea of the family being able to protect themselves?  Maybe its a primal feeling where we feel safe and secure with a spear in our hands?

Ok, lets get back to prepping.

This is the way most people prep

1.  Firearms

2.  Short term food preps

3.  Sustainable food preps

This is the way people should prep

1.  Sustainable food preps

2.  Short term food preps

3.  Firearms

Sustainable Food Preps

Most preppers / survivalist put sustainable foods at the end of the list, so lets talk about this topic first.

Question, why do preppers focus on sustainable foods “after” they focus on a lot of other stuff?

Answer, in my opinion, its because planting a garden and having livestock takes a lot of time and effort.  Its easier to buy a bunch of canned foods then it is to build a chicken coop.

My wife and I spent 3 weekends building our chicken coop, which also includes an enclosed run on the coop.

It might be the difficulty and the time involved that prevents people from building and maintaining a sustainable food supply. With our busy lives of watching the kids play sports, dance lessons, school stuff,,, who has enough free time to make a garden?

What constitutes a sustainable food supply?

  • Open Pollinated seeds
  • Chickens
  • Goats
  • Livestock that does not need a lot of land
  • Fruit trees
  • Berries
  • Grapes,,, only to list a few examples.

Benefits of sustainable food supplies – You are in charge of your food supply.  Fruit trees, fresh eggs and various vegetables are a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals.  Seeds from open pollinated plants can be saved and planted the following year.

Eating a diet low in fat and rich in fruits and vegetables will probably help the health of a lot of people.

Drawbacks to sustainable food supplies – Crops and livestock are susceptible to diseases and predators.  Just one fox in the hen house can kill an entire flock.  So much for your egg supply.

A lot of people can not stomach growing their own livestock, butchering and eating the animal.

Its going to be a little difficult for an apartment dweller to have fruit trees, a garden or a flock of chickens. There is nothing saying an apartment dweller can not team up with someone who owns land; maybe a friend or relative owns a few acres of land they can prep for a long term SHTF survival situation.

If you have a surplus of eggs, or extra crops from your garden, you have something to barter with.  Providing friends and neighbors with fresh food will help keep you in good favor.

Short Term Food Preps

Benefits of short term food preps – easy to get started and easy to obtain. Just buy a few extra cans when you go grocery shopping, get some shelves and start stockpiling.

Drawbacks to short term food preps – they are called short term food peps for a reason.  Sooner or later the cans are going to run out.

Lets not forget the limited nutrition and high sodium content of canned foods.

People with heart disease and high blood pressure might face adverse health problems by eating a lot of canned foods.  Its not the canned foods per say, but rather the amount of sodium packed into the contents of the can.

Canned foods are not renewable.  If you plant an empty can of beans, the can is not going to sprout a bean stalk – its not going to happen.

Food stored in mylar bags falls under short term food preps.  Once you eat all of the rice in the mylar bags, that’s it, no more rice will magically appear.

Canned foods do not reproduce, so you will never have a surplus that you can barter with.


Unless you have a place to hunt, those bullets are not going to feed you.

For the price of a single AR15, you can buy a one year supply of #10 cans for a single person.  Some survivalist own 2, 3, 4,, or more ARs.

Why invest a lot of money into firearms when food and water are more important?

Prepping in the Correct Order

Instead of focusing on firearms first, lets focus on sustainable food sources.

When a new preppers enters the community and ask what they should do first, lets point them towards gardening, and raising their own chickens.

Back in the early 1990s, I thought prepping was having 40 pounds of rice, ammunition, and enough gas to reach the Bug Out Location.  Its funny how I look back and realize how ill-prepared I was back then.  Everyday is a learning experience.

Stockpiling rice, beans and firearms is not prepping.  That is not a well rounded survival plan.

Lets develop well rounded plans that include short term and long term food sources.  While you are waiting on the crops to grow, eat from your cans and mylar bags.  Short term food supplies acts as a buffer between the start of the disaster and until you get your garden up and running.

Good luck and GOD bless.

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Kevin Felts was born and raised in southeast Texas, graduated from Bridge City high school Bridge City Texas, and attended Lamar College in Port Arthur Texas. Hobbies include fishing, hiking, hunting, blogging, sharing his politically incorrect opinion, video blogging on youtube, survivalism and spending time with his family. In his free time you may find Kevin working around the farm, building something, or tending to the livestock
Kevin Felts © 2008 - 2018