Reluctant Prepping: Where to Start

There is a line. On one side of that line is prudent preparation for likely scenarios. On that side of the line, FEMA, The Red Cross, and other disaster preparedness organizations implore you to get ready for your own survival. It might be a three day supply period, exemplified by the 72 hour or "bug out" bag. In some cases it drifts to five days. This guideline is prudent. Everyone should do this. Everyone. That's on one side of the line.

On the other side of the line is where things begin to drift out of control. When I say out of control, I mean grasping at control. Preparation beyond those recommendations never really ends, never allows you to move on to the next project. On this side of the line, you'll be contemplating your bug out vehicle (BOV), your bug out location (BOL), your get home bag (GHB), your everyday carry (EDC). You'll eschew cotton clothing in favor of moisture wicking, contemplate seed banks, and horde items for barter for when TSHTF or TEOTWAWKI. I mean really, you can go very far with this.

On that first side of the line, you are prepared, while on the other, you have drifted into prepper territory. My goal then, is to compartmentalize these various areas and avoid "scope creep," to use a project management term. It's hard though, as most 72 hour bags you'll see assume a level of backup and redundancy that goes well beyond 72 hours. Why else am I planning to buy an emergency fishing kit when I have MREs for three days?

As it turns out, part of preparation is being prepared and having backup plans, so there is some essential scope creep at each level that leads you forward to the next level. You just have to decide how far this will go. For me, 72 hours is where it's at, with an eye towards getting to my bug out location. There I plan to have two weeks of supplies. At home, sheltering in place, a month is my goal.

I'll look at my most likely scenario next.