WORDS OF WISDOM FROM AVOW

Like crossing a stream on a broken ice pack Navigating the current situation is like trying to cross a turbulent stream, rich with ice melt and chunks of big ice... ...and your stepping stones are pieces of broken-up ice pack, roaring downstream from further up the stream. The only footing you have are those pieces of floating ice...but it's treacherous, as they rush by with the speed of the current, bounce off of underwater rocks and each other, and some with sink with your weight. You don't HAVE to cross the stream right now; however, there is a BIG ice dam further upstream, holding a lot of water back...and it is slowly melting and will eventually break loose and send the BIG flood down your nice little river valley. Do you cross the stream now...with all of its dangers? Or wait for the danger to subside a bit (it might not, of course)? Wait for some bigger ice chunks on which to step across the stream...because they'll be more stable? Or take the risks NOW, hoping to avoid that big bust-out that is sure to come? If I compare our preps to where we started (seriously, for the first time) in 2005...we've come such a long, long way. We actually have a good chance of surviving a LOT of scenarios. But then, I'll get pensive...and remember all of the GAPS and shortcomings we have in our long-range preps plan. If I allow myself to ponder on it too long, it can be depressing...even scary. There are times to hesitate and deliberate...to analyze and prioritize...so that we're getting the biggest bang for our prepping buck. Following this logic trail...there must necessarily come times when it is TOO LATE to hesitate, deliberate, analyze or prioritize; when ACTION must seize the day! Or, you're too late. It's the difference between being a Jew who emigrates away from Germany in 1930-35...vs. one who TRIES to emigrate away in 1939 (by which time it was pretty impossible). As an example of this last principle...to a large extent, the opportunity to stock up on ballistic wampum (ammo) in meaningful amounts may well be behind us now. Whatever the reasons for the ammo shortages...at the consumer level they are very, very real. I might have all the money in the world...but if I can't find any ammo, I simply can't buy it. The same might be said of silver and gold right now... Whatever the CAUSES of the very real shortages at the consumer level... And whatever is (or isn't) happening in the paper markets for gold/silver)...they have also become meaningless in the event horizon we now face. If you don't already OWN the requisite gold/silver, it is quite possible you simply may be unable to obtain it...at least in the quantities you probably think you'll need. OTOH, FOOD STORAGE is still relatively plentiful and available...but for how much longer? I'd guess we're certainly down to single digit years, in the very most optimistic case. If we take a purely pessimistic scenario...that time line might be down to months...perhaps even weeks. No, I can't make a hard prediction on that...and you should be skeptical of anyone who claims they can. ('No man knows the day,' right?) So, then, what temporal advice might I offer a 'somewhat' prepared son or daughter facing the current situation? (Since we should ALL be pursuing the Spiritual aspects already, I'll assume you're doing that, and now we're simply discussing the concrete temporal questions.) FOOD is still the priority, as long as you ask yourself the question 'Do I have enough,' and the answer via the Spirit continues: 'not yet.' Food storage, of course, has to include the key tools, such as how to process and prep that food (e.g., grain mills & sprouters & dehydrators), how to store it (buckets, etc.), and cook it (sun ovens, rocket stoves, etc.) SELF-DEFENSE is the second priority...but you're going to have to be more flexible in choosing the tools you'll be using for that defense! You'll probably have to accept your 2nd, or even 3rd or 4th, tier choice for a rifle in the semi-auto. The real limiter, though, is that the DRIVER in weapons selection right now is going to have to be AMMO...without ammo to feed your weapon, it's nothing but a club...and probably not a very good one at that. Get both handgun and rifle training...plus martial arts if you can. MEDICAL SKILLS and SUPPLIES are close behind self-defense...every member of your family AND your prepping/support group is precious--their skills will be needed. Make sure you have the supplies so you don't lose them to the simple things (infected gums or skin cuts) or if at all possible, the worst case scenarios (IFAK (blow-out or trauma kits) for bullet wounds or severe cuts). No single family could ever store all of the medical supplies that are going to be required. However, if we all make good-faith efforts to store what we can...and follow the Spirit's promptings in what we acquire...then it will all work out in the end. KEY ENABLING CAPABILITIES such as a generator (preferably tri-fuel), stored fuel supplies, communications capabilities (and training therefor), rifle scopes, night vision capabilities, smart preparation of your expected defensive space, sand bags, traps, snares, fishing trap lines, etc. Notably missing on the list above...are SUPPORT GROUPS/ALLIANCES. I've saved them for last because not everyone CAN find a support group/alliance. If you live in a notoriously liberal state or a big city, for example, you may find it nearly impossible to find other preppers that share your moral imperatives. And THAT is crucial for a support group/alliance. If you hastily join in with a group that doesn't share your morals and ethics...you'll soon find yourself compromised, become very unhappy, and then have to leave the group. Except that the GROUP is going to be unlikely to allow you to take your preps/stores with you, after the balloon has gone up. LAST on this list...are the precious metals. Oh, you should DEFINITELY get at least some pre-1965 U.S. silver coins (colloquially known as 'junk silver') and stash them safely. If you have the budget (and can find them...), then get some Silver Eagles and Gold Eagles. If you live near Mexico, get some silver pesos...if you live near Canada, get some sold or silver Maple Leaf coins...if you live out of the U.S.A, get some appropriate silver or gold coins from nearby (hopefully safer) coins. And now...a word about trade-offs! Each prepper/prepper family must start playing the "get something now, vs. getting something perfect later" trade-offs game. Most of us only have X amount of dollars to spend...we're on a budget, whether we like it or not. So...a trade-off you might be facing is...DO I BUY 50 OF THOSE SWISS FIRESTEELS RIGHT NOW...OR SAVE THAT MONEY TO TRY AND BUY SOME 22 LR AMMO WHEN/IF/WHERE IT FINALLY BECOMES AVAILABLE!! Firesteels are a good item to have both for personal use...AND for barter. But if you spend that money NOW...you'll probably not get that 22LR that you know you really need, should it suddenly drop out of the sky at Walmart at the EXACT moment you're walking past the counter. If you've already spent the funds, you won't be able to use it for ammo, right? The list of potential trade-offs for ITEMS NOW vs. ITEMS IN THE FUTURE is ginormous! I can't begin to tell you what exactly YOUR priorities and inflection points should/must be, as I don't know enough about YOUR particular situation. But you need to do enough thinking, planning and prioritizing...so that when you DO see something drop out of the sky...you can run to be the first person grabbing it for purchase. Remember, HESITATION is the enemy of preparedness at this point in our common history. DO NOT HESITATE, or you end up with nothing but a bunch of unspent greenbacks...and those probably aren't going to hold their value real well, long-term. REMEMBER, the priorities suggested above must be adapted and tailored to fit YOUR particular situation, the ENVIRONMENT you live in, the SCENARIO(s) you expect to cope with, and your own long-term OBJECTIVES (survive in place or bug-out; high-profile or low-profile; active or passive defense strategies), etc. These priorities are NOT the be-all or end-all of prepping; however, but they are a good starting point for prepping priorities, given where our world is right now, at this moment of time in May, 2013. Use them as the starting point to tailor your OWN priorites! And to sum up an old football coach of mine: don't just stand there watching the grass grow!!!! Whatever you're doing...DO SOMETHING!! RusherJim

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