I’ve met and talked to a lot of people over the years of doing this. Nearly everyone I’ve met has been very nice and very serious about preparedness and that’s a good thing. However, after the year or so, I’ve seen a lot of people drop off, for whatever reason, on their everyday carry, their gear readiness, and on training. This leads me to ask everyone to make a serious assessment of their habits…..Is preparedness a lifestyle for you or is it merely your hobby that you do to fill your down time?
Sluggards do not plow in season;
so at harvest time they look but find nothing.
Proverbs 20:4
Every Day Carry (EDC)
No, I’m nto just talking about firearms here. Sure, it happens (“I’m just running to the corner store so why do I need to carry a handgun?”), but I’m talking abiout everything else. Do you carry a serious and stocked first aid kit every day, either on your person or in your backpack? Do you keep a larger one in the car?
Once, several years ago, I was preparing for my day and I was asked, “Did you just put a tourniquet in your backpack?”. I said, “Of course….You are aware of what I do, right?”. Here’s the key part of the exchange that separates the hobbyist from the lifestyle person: “Why do you need that?”. I replied, “In case I get shot”, to which the reply was “Well, I don’t plan on getting shot.”. Oh, good. No one ever PLANS on bad things happening, they just do. We prepare in case of UNPLANNED THINGS.
If you are truly into this as a lifestyle, you should have a get home bag in the car or on you all day every day. You should be carrying first aid and communications gear all day. I carry a radio no matte what, although, to be fair, I live on a property with no cell service and we need to be able to spread the word quickly about bears or mountain lions.
Supplies
During COVID, everyone ramped up on buying supplies. So much so that we had a national toilet paper shortage. Because the crisis was in our faces, everyone stocked up, as the future was uncertain. However, those of us who truly had this as a lifestyle didn’t have to run out and panic buy, because we already had the stuff.
But, now that the COVID crisis and the BLM riots are a distant memory, people are storing less and less, and not buying or testing as much gear. You may still need it.
Maintain a good supply of food, as the entire world is facing food shortages as a third or fourth order effect of the ongoing war with Iran. Figure out what you’re going to do abotu fuel shortages and issues with water supplies. Stock purification.
Reliance on Electronics
One of the weirdest trends in modern preparedness is the over-reliance on apps, e-books, and specialized electronic gear (Rapid Radios, mesh networks, and electrically-powered purification). If we’re serious about preparedness, we know that power failures are a second order effect of almost every crisis and that cell phone networks (which your latest app that an influencer told you to buy relies on) will be overwhelmed in a crisis, making those apps unusable.
Instead, we should be trying our best to decouple ourselves from Western Society’s over-reliance on the free flow of electrons. Buy paper, hard-copy books (note: buy mine while you’re here, will ya?). Spend less time doom-scrolling the inter-webs. Resist the tempation to rely more on electronics, rather than less.
Training
All across the tactical and survival training spectrum, attendance at training is down. People have a lot of reasons for not training and the economy isn’t the best right now. Training dollars spent don’t result in something in your hand you can look at as justification for the spend, but the skills may just save your life.
Some folks say they can’t because of their family commitments. Family commitments are exactly WHY you should come; your family needs to be prepared. During classes here this week, we’ve had whole family groups (including a grandfather and grandson) training together.
This week, we’ve ran Fieldcraft, Wilderness First Aid, CPR/AED, and Basic Communications for Preparedness. Later in the week, we’re running Hard Target Traveller and CQB Level 2. There are others coming out to train, join them. Build community – share campfires and meals with like-minded folks. Learn skills.
Recap
Decide today if preparedness is a lifestyle or just a hobby for you. If it’s just a hobby, that fine, but don’t pretend it’s more than that when arguing with lifestyle folks on social media. If you are serious, double down and get to work – bad times are ahead.
There is work to be done – get after it.
If you like this content sign up as a monthly supporter at tacticalwisdom.locals.com to support my work and get more content. You can also make a donation below.
You can support Camp Ponderosa by making a donation or by buying us items off the Amazon Wish List:
Donations: https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/BFW3LTd04QAl4HixiACmLg
Amazon Wish List: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1038N8GYHRWX8?ref_=wl_share
TW Gear Test List: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/225D7XIZ8R8LO?ref_=wl_share
