We all have our strengths and weaknesses as well as interests and even things we don’t much care about. I know I do. With respect to preparedness, however, neglecting your shortcomings can be disastrous. We all know this, perhaps instinctively, but I wonder if we subconsciously foster our strengths and interests and willfully neglect that which we don’t much care about?
For example, the person who truly enjoys cooking meals will likely stockpile plenty of long term food storage. Somebody who hunts or perhaps is in law enforcement may focus on firearms and ammo. A doctor or nurse may focus on medical supplies and equipment. You get the idea.
The question is whether the cook stockpiles much if anything in the way of medical supplies, does the hunter stockpile food storage (perhaps because of the expectation that they can hunt for food) and does the nurse bother with firearms? Obviously, neglecting any of the aforementioned could prove deadly in the right, no… wrong circumstances.
I, for one, don’t have expertise in many things but I continue to learn. That said, I do have interests such as cooking–though I’m not very good at it–so I try to have more in the way of cooking supplies and equipment but I really don’t know squat about medical so it’s not like I have a lot in the way of medical equipment at all. This is a shortcoming of mine.
The thing is that there are many ways of looking at prepping “categories” if you will. How your break down everything you may need to have or know may be different than how I do so. It doesn’t really matter so long as you get your bases covered.
Most sheeple may look at survival as needing nothing more than the basics of shelter, food, water, and lights. A more educated person may realize that things like warmth (and cooling), first aid, security (including firearms), as well as sanitation are equally important. As you think more about prepping you’ll come to realize the importance of things like power, communications, and OPSEC too. That’s how I break it down.
Beyond major categories you have a potential myriad of sub-categories as well. For example, the food category may include bulk foods, seasonings, canned and packaged goods, gardening seeds, gardening equipment and supplies, cooking gear, food processing equipment, and so on. Obviously, then, every other major category will have sub-categories too. So, it’s easy to get overwhelmed but it’s even easier to neglect something important.
As for me, I like–no, I LOVE lists–and find it helps to not only list out equipment I need but to do so under categories and sub-categories as well as to include prices and even to prioritize my needs. As you might suspect this list can and does get BIG fast!
Regardless, this post isn’t necessarily about stuff, it’s about what you’re possibly neglecting with regards to being better prepared, including both equipment and supplies, but skills and abilities as well. In other words, you should sit down and honestly rate your stuff (equipment and supplies) alon with your abilities (skills and knowledge) with regards to each categor–as you prefer to list them out–one by one. Certainly, it helps to have an honest assessment and maybe you’re not the best person to do it. Perhaps your spouse is or even a prepping buddy? Maybe for OPSEC you NEED to do it yourself. I don’t know. Just be as honest as you can and look at it as being an opportunity to get as prepared as you can be.
How to rate yourself? Well, for example, you can rate each category (and sub-category) on a number scale, maybe 1-5, or give a grade such as A through F, if you prefer. Perhaps you should include a timeframe and money needed to get each category up to par? You can make this quite elaborate is you like. Regardless of how elaborate you make your assessment purposely focus your prepping efforts, time, and money on those categories you’ve rated as being sub-par while ignoring those categories you’ve rated as very good. I know this sounds a bit counter-intuitive but the entire point is to fix your shortcomings. Finally, keep working on any and all sub-par categories until they’re on par with everything else.
Remember that your preps are only as strong as the weakest link in the chain. Take the time now to honestly assess where you are and purposely focus on fixing your shortcomings so that you’re as ready as you possibly can be for whatever is to come.
Leave a Reply