Dispatches From The Conservative Underground has an article titled The First Steps. He’s making a point that should be made early and often; preparedness isn’t necessarily a matter of amassing expensive piles of food and ammo. Rather it’s about doing what one can within their resources to become more resilient:
“On a personal level, I am a middle-aged man in relatively good health, but with some medical issues that could become a problem over the long-haul. My most immediate concern would the fact that I suffer from high blood pressure. It is well-controlled, but without medication, it quickly returns to stroke range. Stocking up on meds might work for a while, but only as long as they hold out.
This problem, I believe, can be better alleviated by shedding the extra weight, so one of the very first steps in my preps is to make that happen. I chose to go on a traditional weight-control program that many people seem to have forgotten – I don’t eat so much.”
Spot on! All the MREs and water filters in the world might not compare in value to going on a diet. (Which is free!) Surely, attention to one’s health is just as important as gathering “things”. Suppose the fellow from the quote loses weight but still needs his meds? Fine, he gained health anyway. Who can complain about that?
That’s an idea near and dear to my heart. Preparedness is about becoming a more resilient person and that’s usually a good thing. Generally speaking, even if the thing for which you prepare doesn’t come, you’ve gained something in the journey. If fiat currency doesn’t collapse and the grid holds out and the zombies never attack you’ve still saved for retirement, have a cool generator, and can do a push up. Win win!
I sometimes think the advantage of “survialism” is that it helps motivate us to “eat our vegetables”.
Hat tip to Theo Spark.