Preps For 2012
December 30, 2011, Submitted by: Ken Tweet
If we want to be prepared for 2012, what are the things that need to be done, so that we will be better prepared for this likely crazy year?
Apart from the Mayan ‘end-of-the-age’ predictions, many people feel in their gut that we are heading towards more turmoil and hard times during 2012.
The economic conditions, worldwide, have become much worse than they were prior to the 2008 crash. This time, not only is much of the private sector ‘broke’, in debt, and under water, but NATIONS are broke, in debt and under water! Since 2008, the underlying fundamental problems have not changed… in fact they have become much worse. Things have been ‘papered over’ by the powers-that-be, the can has been kicked down the road, and people are instinctively becoming aware that the game is nearly over.
During 2011, massive global unrest has occurred, and is still ongoing now. Government regimes have been overthrown. Revolting civilians have been shot down by their governments. People have been demonstrating in the streets, both violently and peacefully. People have been waking up to the truths of the deceit that has been upon them by their governments and the system they’ve become beholden to. People are angry. As more and more of the middle class descend into oblivion, the unrest will only get worse, and could get much worse during 2012.
As governments are forced to either cut back or print more money, either way, it’s a stimulant for disaster. Cutbacks will bring out the dependent class who will not go down without a fight. Printing more money and kicking the can down the road will lead to more devaluing of the paper currencies (which is a definition of inflation) as the prices of goods continue higher, much higher than your paycheck (which may actually be going down or stagnant).
2012 is an election year in the U.S., and the government will likely NOT cut back their spending. It’s likely that we will see more currency devaluation instead.
When things get bad enough, governments will look to WAR to ‘fix’ things. Many people believe that the world (or parts thereof) is currently a tinder box for WWIII, and that 2012 could very well bring it on, or the beginnings thereof.
Some believe that we may see a ‘false flag’ event, purposed to bring on war. There could be an event or events that are categorized as terrorism, used by governments to further clamp down on its populace.
During the end of 2011, the U.S. government passed a number of laws which drastically tore apart American citizen’s liberty and freedoms. The U.S. Constitution is all but a relic, a historical time capsule, something to snicker at by the current politicians who seek to control our lives. 2012 may bring on more infringements of our freedoms, our communications, and our freedom of movement. Most of this is being done in the name of seeking out ‘terrorists’, a term that the Department of Homeland Security has yet to define and communicate to the American public. However they do say, ‘If you see something, say something’, although they have not defined what ‘something’ is yet…
Okay, so, what preps should we acquire to be prepared for the wrath of 2012?
A good starting point (or ongoing action) would be to stock up in the categories of nourishment, security, environmental needs, and consumable supplies (for starters).
Nourishment, or in other words, food and water, is of course the most basic ‘staple’ prep for all survivalist types. You absolutely should have at least a one month supply of foods in your house or apartment. To be honest, I’m not comfortable at all with even a one month supply – I would set a personal minimum goal of 3 months while you work your way up to one year.
Security is for your personal protection, for your families protection, and for the protection of your home and supplies. This could start with doing your part to minimize the temptation for thieves (motion lights, window locks, door deadbolts, steel doors, alarm system, keeping a low external profile). You should learn about ‘situational awareness‘ and practice it in your daily life. You should consider your personal security and methods thereof.
Environmental needs in this context are those that have to do with your home, the place where you live. Consider other solutions for staying warm during winter months if there were no power. Could you cook or boil water without power? Is your home adequately resistant to disaster? Should you make those repairs now, prior to any unforeseen issues? What about your vehicle – is it ready for a bug-out or evacuation should it become necessary? Do you know where you would go?
Consumable supplies are easy preps to acquire more of, just like stocking up on food. Extra cases of TP, paper towels, trash bags, and personal hygiene products should be available for the same amount of time as you have food storage. Beyond consumable supplies are those like tools, spare parts, hardware, anything that can be used to help sustain your dwelling and your way of life.
The summary is that 2012 may be a rough ride, and the sooner you become prepared, the less pain you may suffer. None of us know for sure how bad things may become, but for those who have thought about it and have prepared, you will sleep much better at night. The process of becoming prepared is just that, a process. There are nearly infinite opinions regarding how-to, or what to do. However if you simply begin to think about it, you will formulate your own plan, one that fits you and who you are. So, why not get started…
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A wonderful “New Year’s resolution” is to start out the first week in January and be a little more ready and prepared than the last week in December. Each week thereafter be a little more prepared than the previous week, just a little. Like throwing change into a bucket it will add up. Just make sure that each consecutive week you are more prepared than the previous week. Keep this upward tend and do not slack off and you will be amazed how much better off you will be WHEN something terrible happens and what you have is the difference between surviving or not.
Thanks to this site over the last months, I have made savings from refusing to buy “stuff=junk” that I didn’t really need. So from the first week in 2012 I have accumulated a tidy sum to purchase more of the prep stuff I know we will need for when it gets a bit rough later in the year.
I even have a list ready of my prorities for when all the idiots have done trampling and fighting each other in the shops for the latest fashion accessory sales… That aren’t really sales! I’ll be heading to a different department.
As for what 2012 has in store… Well… The stage is set… Those that have the money and power of suppression know what’s in store for us this coming year… And I guess it’s going to be ugly!
@Damkina; A very prescient post. See my post below about the timing. Good luck and prep SOON. Survive well. Enjoy.
@All; Happy New Year! While I don’t like the general, incite to riot type of hand-wringing scenarios, I do agree with Ken. If you think about the focus of the next year, here’s what I see. We have an economic crisis in Europe that threatens to bring the U.S. with it; We have a Chinese economic contraction and housing bubble that is bursting that no one seems to mention; We have the 2012 elections wherein the most inept, power hungry, social engineering president in history seeks re-election (and is probably not going to go quietly, martial law anyone?); We have the Iranians acting like ass-clowns; We have the Chinese acting like Iranians, hence ass-clowns; We have our own civil unrest issues that will threaten the 2012 elections, either before the election, like OWS on steroids or after the election, when the ousted president’s constichents(sic) riot after the “unfair” electoral process, thus creating the NEED for martial law, suspending congress and the installation of the new president, and subjecting us all to the “emergency powers acts”; We have the potential for any number of significant regional or WW disasters; and so on….. The fact that all of these issues have the feel of “a plan coming together”, harmonic convergence, is disconcerting. One of the biggest issues is the “self fulfillment” of 2012 itself. Just the mere fact that I’m mentioning it serves to add momentum to “self fulfillment”. By the end of October, certainly November 2012, if you haven’t done all your preppping you’re going to be SOL, as by then the run up to panic will start. If anything happens in the aforementioned topics, before then, then Katy-bar-the-door. I don’t gamble but I do play poker, and if I had to bet I would err on the side of caution and make a goal to have all/most of the essential prepping you need, done by mid-summer. I don’t have any mental powers, other than cognition, I don’t have a crystal ball, nor do I tell the future, but I do see 2012 as having the very high potential to be a seminal year in the saga of the human race. Think. Don’t use any emotion, other than hunger (yes, I know it’s not an emotion, but it is motivating). Remember to keep things in perspective, prepping is an insurance plan. If you are going to spend money on car and homeowner’s insurance, you shuld spend some on “survival” insurance. Use critical thinking skills to determine your plan. Plan your living and live your plan. Survive well. Enjoy.
Should any “terrorist attempt”, etc, occur how do we save up on food as reccommended if the new law says you can only have one week of food supplies and any long term supplies would be considered a “possible act of terrorism”. Same goes for having weapons (even if for personal safety), even “water-proofed matches” (if you can believe that!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rghhz_t5POo
Sen. Rand Paul Defends American Citizens Against Indefinite Detainment
Please listen to the last 3 minutes and tell me how can we prepare for natural catastrophies without breaking the law.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anjVgWNzQnk&feature=relmfu
Sen. Rand Paul Speaks on the Senate Floor on Defense Authorization Act – 11/29/11
I’m concerned. Where did my America go while I was sleeping?
@stickler; You know, there are laws and then there are laws. This is my definition of a law; “something that most people will do most of the time” and that’s it, no big deal. When the gubment makes laws that most of the people find distasteful, they disobey it, en masse. I was taking my state CHL instructors class and one of the topics was “integrity” and the example used by the trooper staff was the following, this took place in the EARLY 90s. The trooper commandant called in all the heads of the districts in the state and said “I want you to tell me what’s wrong with these tickets” and showed them the 50 or so tickets laid out on his conference table. An uncomfortable amount of time went by and finally after about 30 minutes they all threw their hands up ans said they couldn’t find anything wrong with the tickets. The commandant said “there’s not a single ticket for less than 70 mph and I couldn’t find one at all and all these tickets are on the interstate.” This was when the speed limit, that congress imposed on the American public, was 55 mph. When even the cops won’t enforce the law, it will not work, therefore it isn’t a valid law. Prohibition didn’t work for the same reason. A vocal minority got the congress to do their dirty work and enforce their agenda. Now, personally I thought this was a poor example for integrity as it demonstrates that “the people” are the government as intended by the Constitution and THEY will determine law, by what they will obey. The government has not served at the pleasure of “the people” since before the war………the civil war! Stickler, you do what you have to do, period. OPSEC (operational security)is a must. The neighborhood shouldn’t know about your preps. That shouldn’t keep you from encouraging people to prepare or you from preppping. Your preps shouldn’t all be in one place and neither should your weapons. If you are afraid, welcome to the club. I prepare anyway. If you are afraid and it keeps you from prepping, you’re trusting the gubment (Katrina) to take care of you. During Katrina, N.O. basically sat on their collective asses, and see how that turned out. South MS was hit just as hard and no one looted, no one EXPECTED the gubment to be their saviors. They did what they had to, helped each other, protected each others’ belongings and when aid came around they helped get it out, to everyone. A different mindset. I don’t NEED, nor do I EXPECT the gubment to help me. They will have to pry it all from MCDHs! Don’t mean to sound sh***y but if you have family, do you expect the gubment to take care of them, like YOU would? Make your choice and be smart. Survive well. Enjoy.
@stickler; P.S. If you’re on this site, you’re prolly on a list, anyway. So, if you are concerned about being considered a hoarder or terrorist, just consider yourself one now. Survive well. Enjoy.
@ TripodXL. If you are on this site you are a non-conformist intellect that stands out from the crowd, you are unique, a maverick, and of course on a guv’ment list. Wouldn’t have it any other way.
@BI; Me too, my friend. The word that comes to mind is “contrarian”; i.e. one that takes a position that opposes the majority, regardless of popularity, that runs counter to the conventional “wisdom”, based on differing perceptions and insight on the way things are; e.g. “the emperor has no clothes”! Happy 2012. Survive well. Enjoy.
@TripodXL I totally agree with your posts. Also, here in England we’ve got the olympics to get through… And my goodness… By the sounds of the plans they’re preparing for a siege of London with all the military back up, which is going to effect the rest of us too. My aim is to get as much prepared by the end of July as I can, preferably earlier.
One of the problems I can see happening is that some (and I know a few) are hell bent on WANTING an apocalypse for the winter solstice and will try to stir things up just to say the predictions are right. It’s these people that scare me as well as the government… Maybe they’re the same.
Also, I know I’m on some list as I wrote to my EMPLOYEES at Parliament to let them know how useless they actually were, were their policeis were going wrong and that they were as much use as a chocolate fireguard! I got a reply back from an MPs secretary with some unstranslatable signature at the bottom, with no actual answers to my letter.
I wrote back to let them know just how rude and disrespectful it was to copy and paste in a reply on government headed paper, and that my tax bill entitled me to better service… I haven’t heard back yet LOL!
Happy New Year to All. Prepare for the worse and hope for the best.
@Damkina; You’re right to be concerned about those that would help the “apocalypse” along. Try to keep your OPSEC tight and prep enough that you can batten down the hatches around the 1st of November and stay put until past the 1st of the year. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket, spread them around in unsuspecting places and remember OPSEC. Keep the faith. Survive well. Enjoy.
@TripodXL, at the moment I don’t know whether to be bemused, annoyed or have pity… Maybe a mixture of all three. My family, which includes parents, sisters and their extended families live either on credit cards or going to the shop every day just for the basics.
We had them all at our home over New Year and I told my husband to make sure ALL the drinks and food needed were to be out of the storage area and in the dinning room. One of My sisters still went rummaging and came across my preps, on which one after the other, they all had had a look. They asked questions, on which I explained why they should prep. The overwhelming vote was… Why worry… We know where to come if something happens, because we won’t starve here!
I was fuming! And on the spur of the moment asked them if they could run quick enough to dodge a cross bow bolt!
I now have a problem and a dilemma and feel absolutely dreadful thinking about this…. I’m not giving up on trying to advice them despite them heading for the sales today with their credit cards, but I’m sure they now just expect us to take care of them if the SHTF, and they won’t have anything to contribute besides some new fancy table lamps, a pair of high leg boots and some hair straighteners!
What do you do when they’re family, and are like this?
@Damkina; I can’t really tell you WHAT to do. I can tell you what “I” would do. First I would assume that the “kinfolk” think your lorry is “missing a wheel”, if you know what I mean. I would find a storage unit that was close enough to be convenient (and secure enough) and rent it by the year and pay cash for it if that was an option, and store a lot of my preps there. Don’t know if you are a flat dweller or have a yard, but if you have a yard you could get a small storage building (a decoy) and put your preps under the floor of the bldg so that they are not obvious. There are other ways to hide things as well. A platform bed can have a mattress and look normal, but be hollow underneath and you can store a lot of things there, unnoticed. Old stereo sets, the ones that looked like furniture, kind of a “retro look” (found at garage sales), could be made to work with new components and speakers, and have a lot of unused space from where the “old electronics” were. Misdirection works on the casual observer. Just because a box is labeled “Christmas lights or winter/summer clothes”, doesn’t mean that’s what has to be in it. The more mundane the name, the less likely people are to look in it. Check out “Paladin Press” on the internet. They have some books you can order about “covert hiding places” but I’m not sure if it will get past your censors as it would be considered “not nice or subversive”. As far as what to say about your preps, tell them something that fits your personality; “oh, that, that’s for the church soup kitchen”, “oh, that, a shop downtown was going out of business and they were all such a good price I couldn’t pass them up”. Deflect their curiosity. Lie to them and don’t feel guilty about it. Love the crossbow comment. Don’t waste your time trying to convert those that will not be converted. You can still try but don’t draw attention to yourself. Obviously they are family and you love them but If they CHOOSE to not be prepared, then they make that choice. How you CHOOSE to deal with that is an unfortunate issue you HAVE to deal with. I have made arrangements to be able to be “charitable” with SOME food and supplies, but that doesn’t mean I going to be a soup kitchen or a Wally-world for everyone that comes by. As the UK is relatively small compared to the U.S. I don’t have the same family problems. I only have a BFF that is also a prepper that might show up but he will bring resources as well as extra hands. One child lives close enough to get here with family in a serious situation and I have prepared for that and they have prepped some as well. One brother is welcome, if he can get here. The other one I’d probably shoot right after I shot the “female dog” he is married to. That goes for my father as well, although I would take my stepmother in. BUT, these are personal choices that each person has to make for themselves. It comes down to this; WHY ARE YOU PREPPING? Answer that question and resolve that with your philosophy of survival and what it means to you and you will have your answer, like it or not. Truly, I hope this helps you. None of this was meant to be flippant, sarcastic or tongue-in-cheek, I meant everything that I said. Please, survive well. Enjoy.