For What Are You Preparing?

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There has been much discussion about 'tools', but little about actual physical preparation. Physical fitness ought to be in the discussion somewhere when talking about 'preparedness' and what are you preparing for.
 
+ 100 on physical fitness, I think everyone should carry a knife and cash. After that it's pretty much up to your circumstances.
In my car I carry water(for the car), tire changing supplies, jumper cables, my toolbox, a blanket in the winter, a compressor, fix a flat and a flashlight.(except for the light they are all in the trunk.
I ccw when able, don't see the need for a reload. If I'm not sure of the area I MIGHT carry a bug(never have though). Other wise it's my knife, wallet, keys, phone.
I used to carry a little light, never used it. seeing in the dark is not hard and once you get the hang of it you see more then you would with just a light.

I use my flashlight to look at maps and look at my engine. In any realistic self defense emergency I can't imagine needing a flashlight. However my needs are not other peoples
 
i try to stay prepared for most situations.

carried daily on my person
leatherman
minimag 2aa led flashlight
mag solitaire 1aaa on my keychain
keltec pf-9 with 2 reloads

in my car
jumpercables
flashlight
backpack containing 1 change of winter clothes and one of summer clothes, two pairs socks, 1gallon ziplock bag filled with food (granola bars, jerkey, trailmix) and 8 20 oz bottles of water. and 1 box of ammo each for my ccw and car gun.

in my home i have 2 large storage boxes. i packed everything in these so if an evacuation would be necessary it could easily be moved.

box 1
4 cases of canned goods with 2 can openers.
2 boxes of powdered milk
5 vaccumm packed bag of dehydrated vegtables
2 cases of water
1 mess kit with stove and fuel bars
i try to rotate the items in this case about once a year or so.

box 2
4 blankets
4 changes of clothes
100 rd box each of 9mm .40 and .45
100 rds of 12g
2 100ft packs of roped
1 small tarp

i don't worry about a particular kind of scenario i just try to increase my chances in the event something bad does occur be it manmade or otherwise.

crankycj brought up an exellent point as well. being in good physical condition could will aid you in any situation you will ever encounter.
 
I'm just more comfortable with at least having the option to defend myself even though I seriously doubt I will ever be faced with that situation again. I have been robbed at gunpoint and listened to the person not pointing the gun at me argue with his armed friend as to why it would be best to just shoot me. Obviously the armed robber won the argument. Had I been carrying a weapon I would probably be dead due to the fact that I was unsure as to the outcome of their argument and would have most likely been unsuccessful in my attempts to settle it in my favor. The point is.....I don't ever want to feel so helpless again. They were never caught btw. This happened in a rather bad neighborhood in Kansas City in the late 70's. The neighborhood is even worse now. But the incident helped me in my decision to move to a small rural community full of people carrying Bibles and guns who try to avoid collisions with the Amish while most of the population are on their way to church. Pretty sure at least the Amish are unarmed. Not so sure about the rest of us.....but we have very little criminal activity.
 
To the OP, living near RR tracks I worry about chemical spills. Working 70+ miles from home I worry about weather. So I cary a knife and food. I have a flashlight in my truck along with tools, clothes, and more food.

Did I mention food? :D
 
Speaking specifically to defensive prep.
Everyday walking around I might have my pistol but I always have a pocket knife, maybe 2 of em. 60-70% of my waking time is spent in a town of just over 900 people and the last murder was 35ish years ago in a domestic dispute.
I place a much higher priority on being defensively prepared in my rural home. I think it's a daddy thing.
 
If we're not at home when disaster hits, most of us will be at work. Can w communicate? Walk home? Equipment in the car and a plan for separation scenarios are vital, I think.
 
Most defensive shootings take place in the dark,...
Click to expand...
So... anybody think a pound of cure is better than an ounce of prevention?
Click to expand...
To state the obvious: STAY OUT OF THE DARK! :D
It would be interesting to see a breakdown of the stats cited in this thread as to:
1. Time of day.
2. Whether the area had good lighting.
3. Whether the area was isolated.
4. Whether it was a "bad neighborhood" with a high crime rate.

With such knowledge, or even common sense, prevention can take the form of reduced risk when the right choices are made.


Rarely do people try to put themselves in bad situations; they are just in the wrong place at the wrong time going about their lives when trouble finds them.
Click to expand...

On the contrary, it seems that people make little effort to recognize a bad situation. They often could have avoided the "wrong place at the wrong time" if instead of "just going about their lives" they take more responsibilty for their own personal defense and make better choices. Staying out the dark, literally and figuratively, should be at the top of the list.
 
what am i prepared for? well i can tell you what i wasn't prepared for during a couple of incidents in my life. i wasn't prepared to encounter a deranged mental case carrying an axe, walking into a seafood restaurant on a sunday afternoon in wilmington n.c. this occurred prior to me obtaining a ccw permit. to be honest, i don't think anyone else in that restaurant was either. i recall several eating utensils hitting plates and mouths wide open in shock. this was at a restaurant called "somethin fishy", no joke. thank god wilmington p.d. was close by. it was a scene straight out of the movie, the shining.

i also let my guard down while working as a delivery driver for a local pizza joint. i didn't wear my fanny pack for a glock 19 that night, ended up getting robbed. pure complacency.

point is, you better be prepared all of the time. carry what you are comfortable with and keep your mind right, sharp and focused.
 
In general being robbed, assaulted, or threatened. Power outages and snow storms. I live in what many would consider to be an upscale area. Deranged person roamed the area and put somebody into intensive care by beating them with a ball bat less than a mile from my home.

I lived in a working class area growing up in Chicago and had this happen four blocks from my house.

"At 9521 South Exchange Avenue on April 14, 1969, there was a horrific bloodbath that resulted in the deaths of Detective Jerome A. Stubig and Sergeant James R. Schaffer. Additionally six other officers and two civilians suffered serious hand gernade shrapnel and gunshot wounds. "


http://http://www.crimefilenews.com/2006/10/can-hero-become-police-superintendent.html

You just never know.

Side Commentary Off Topic
If you read the story on the link you'll get the story of some old school Chicago cops who had what it took to bring in the criminal. Sad commentary where their department is headed now (drop applicant testing). Almost 41 years later I can still remember and appreciate them.
 
when driving - i carry an emergency med kit (yes, i'm certified in first aid/CPR), blankets, some MREs, a high power lantern, 3 gallons of water, a change of clothes, tools, camping gear, a khukuri/machete, and a bunch of other things i would want if i get stranded anywhere.

on foot - pistol, an extra mag, a folder or two, a small LED flashlight, my wallet, and a cell phone. i always seem to need to use a knife or a flashlight for something daily.
 
I'm preparing for a severe bout of poverty in the area combined with Methamphetamine junkies on the rise.

I've already dealt with a handful of them and only see it getting worse.
These are people I don't want to open up with a knife, and whose blood I don't want to aerosolize with a firearm wound. So, I've been focusing more on empty hand stuff and practicing with more blunt trauma weapons.

I keep a kubotan on my key ring in addition to a folder I'll likely leave folded and use like a kubotan as well, should I not be able to get to my keys.

In addition to drug addicts, I'm having more concern about both relgious and political whack jobs after last year's shooting at the Unitarian church and recent political issues.
Please don't shoot me because I'm different than you! :neener:
 
The only thing i've really prepared for is the next ammo shortage slash insanely high ammo price boning.


Mike
 
Hmm. I think a lot of you live pretty cushy lives.

If you need the internet to tell you what a flashlight is for... seriously.


I carry a bag of stuff wherever I go and I could not imagine not having it and being so helpless. It has a bunch of items that are usefull to me in my job and daily life. Including a gun. But that so far has not proved needed.

In the last week I think I used the items in my bag at least 2 dozen times.

If I didnt have my bag, being broken down on the side of the road thursday night would have been... a very dark very helpless position.

As it ended up, a multitool, a "tactical" flashlight, and some duct tape I keep wrapped around a credit card in one of the pouches allowed me to fix my own car not call AAA like some of you pansys who dont know what a flashlight is for. :) And that king sized snickers bar I keep in the "pistol mag pouch" sure did taste good. I figure I saved... well a lot of cash fixin it myself.

Man up guys, comon. Dont talk like you are so soft you dont have any need for tools anymore. Tools are what separates us from useless primates.


This is fantasy.

These are people I don't want to open up with a knife, and whose blood I don't want to aerosolize with a firearm wound. So, I've been focusing more on empty hand stuff and practicing with more blunt trauma weapons.

I keep a kubotan on my key ring in addition to a folder I'll likely leave folded and use like a kubotan as well, should I not be able to get to my keys.
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This seems kinda overkill.

when driving - i carry an emergency med kit (yes, i'm certified in first aid/CPR), blankets, some MREs, a high power lantern, 3 gallons of water, a change of clothes, tools, camping gear, a khukuri/machete, and a bunch of other things i would want if i get stranded anywhere.
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Carry stuff you actually have a snoballs chance in a sauna of using.

You will be surprised how many times you can get yourself out of a jam rather than have to call for help like a girl.

Stop living in internet fantasy world and live life, and when you need something you dont have, add it to your bag for next time. Nobody I know of actually wears a "bat belt" but life isnt about "all I need is a credit card to get by."

Sorry if I sounded harsh, but the sissification of men in this country bothers me. I blame the feminists, no the communists.. ok I dont know who to blame.
 
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preparing for major disaster, hurricane/tornado(pardon my spelling) power outage for days, anything insane like this. I am ready. Really store ammo like everyone else because it is so hard to find some calibers. No nothing like a mall ninja I anit got no 100 round slung on my chest.
 
I tend to carry light:

9mm
pen knife
35lumen LED-light
keyring
wallet
cell phone

Occaisionally I'll carry one of my corncob pipes, a tamper, lighter and some tobacco...but that's besides the point. The point is, I know I can't handle everything, I just equip myself for the most common things and keep my pistol on me for the time it may be required.

Trying to have a batman tool-belt sounds nice, but I've been there and it honestly bites. This was my former daily carry as of about 7-8 years ago:

cell phone (belt)
PDA (belt)
SOG tool (belt)
large tactical folder (jeans pocket)
keyring
wallet
mini-maglite (belt)

Not only was I carrying about 3lbs of crap on my belt, but it was large crap which made sitting in chairs and such less than comfortable. I honestly didn't use the cell phone nor the PDA much at that point in time either. The maglite was too big and eventually got replaced with a Solitare, the huge knife got replaced with something more workplace friendly.

In the end, my day-to-day determines my carry, as it should. A man who goes equipped for war just to check the mail is a prisoner of his own fears. Be prepared AND practical.

edit: for some worst case scenario, my preparations are food/water supplies, my communications gear (I can talk on any publicly availible band within a 25-mile radius, which should be enough to coordinate assistance if at all possible), and a general movement plan for when disaster strikes. I don't worry about some katrina type violent looters...I already have the armament for that...a few hundred rounds of ammo is all that's really needed. The main thing is being able to survive with no additional resources long enough to either get the heck out of dodge or to have assistance reach you.
 
Physical fitness ought to be in the discussion somewhere when talking about 'preparedness' and what are you preparing for.
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Very easy to say when you are 20/30/40-something without physical challenges.

The beauty of firearms is that they make an 80-year-old Granny the master of a gang of aggressive teenage punks.

Furthermore, I did not see a lot of svelte gym rats running INTO the buildings on 9/11.

I saw a bunch of semi-paunchy, every-day American Men doing their job and more. They were certainly prepared and they delivered.

I have not seen the sculpted, pretty people do anything worthwhile. Ever. Except to periodically ask the rest of us for money. - which IS worthwhile.

Insects specialize. Human beings plan, learn, adapt and improvise. And we build good, accurate, powerful weapons to overcome insect-like regimes.
 
There is a saying to fight fire with fire. I think that holds true in self defense. the best way to stop lethal force is with lethal force. Martial arts is good or pepper spray or a knife. But the way I figure it the if someone opens up with gun fire. The best way to stop gunfire is with return gunfire. I know there are other ways, but youd have to get alot closer to stop the threat. You could do it completely unarmed, charging the guy or maybe try and flank him. But thats riskier than Id like. Thats why I carry a concealed 442. Its good for close up mugging encounters. And if someone decides to go postal, its only 5 shots but it might be enough to use as cover fire to get me outa there If hes got me pinned down in some corner. or hopefully Ill take him out and save some lives while Im at it.
 
My personal Mission Statement is as follow.

"Under any conditions and in any sittuation i want to be as leathl as humanly possible. "

this means i want to and need to be proficent in
1) handgun
2) carbine
3) shotgun
4) hand to hand
5) blade weapon techniques
6) impact weapons
7) medical
8) individual soldier tactics and skills
9) infantry tactics
10) infantry squad and weapons squad ttp's
of the very few people that actually do train the way that they should, the majority of them train on one weapon system. and or shooting only. I want to be the best most well rounded warrior that i can be in every regard. you need to be able to fight with whatever you have or don't have, you need to be able to stop the enemy/ bad guy, but you also need to know how to fix wounds to yourself, your friends, battle buddies, civilians etc. "you are more likely to use your medical skills to save someone than you are to use your gun in a defensive situation." (of course this is in the context of ccw/ civilian carry.)

I am both a soldier, and i carry in the civilian world. there are things that are specific to each, but there is alot that transfers between the 2.

mindest is the key to success in any defense sittuation, don't quite until you physically die, not think you are dead, or think that there is no way out. "The mind is the final weapon, everything else supplemental."

physical fitness comes into play alot. for example
1) restraning someone
2) hand to hand
3) moving yourself and or others of the "x"
If you sprint to cover and you are totally useless you need to work on you physical fitness. if you can not pick up an average sized person and move them and yourself to cover, you need to work on your fitness. if you can't go for more than a minute or 2 in hand to hand with some one, grappeling etc, then you need to look at your physical fitness level. additionally most people carry for the reason that there is a threat of personal safety/ health. you can carry a bazooka with you but that will not stop you from having a heart attack because you have been abusing your body. etc.

What am i preparing for?
the fight of my life.

1) day to day carry, i carry to defend myself, and my family.
2) in the military i prepare for hell on earth, ad being able to bring my men home alive.
3) i have plans and battle drills for home invasion, i have plans for natural disaters

I choose to be prepared for everything and anything that i might have to contend with.
 
Mindset, Tactics, Skills and Gear
and yes the above is in the order it is for a very specific and good reason.

mindset as i said above......
mindest is the key to success in any defense sittuation, don't quite until you physically die, not think you are dead, or think that there is no way out. "The mind is the final weapon, everything else supplemental."
Click to expand...

Tactics.
include but are not limited to, the tactics to run your weapon systems, operate but offensivly and defensivly, how to use cover, how to out manuver your enemy etc.

Skills
your skills can be ok, and you will be fine, as long as you have the tactics and mindset to go through.

on the opposite note, you can be the best most accurate shooter in the world, however if you do not posses the tactics to implement in the sittuation, and you have no mindset you will fail

Gear
it is at the end of the list for a reason, and though haveing good gear, and tools is essential, it is last in the list, because even with sub par tools/ gear but with the above or mixture of the above you will make it through.

all four of the above are important to your overall success, however you need to have a good balance of all of them.

"TRAIN WITH LIMITATIONS, AND YOU WILL FIGHT WITH LIMITATIONS, AND YOU WILL DIE WITH NO LIMITATION"
 
I am woefully un/under prepared for almost any event. My response to any set of events I can imagine is stay put. We have shelter, water, food, and a means to protect ourselves so I see no upside to bugging out. We don't live in a flood plain and there are no facilities anywhere near us that can generate an event requiring evacuation except for the interstate that is approximately 1/2 mile to the west (those pesky prevailing winds can get you every time).

ETA: As far as everyday doings. My work leases space in one of Columbus Mayor Coleman's gun free safe zones so I carry what I legally can for workday survival - OC (Fox) and a knife. I don't keep a firearm in the car at work as we have had break ins. We don't go out much during the week but when we do and on weekends I carry either a Jframe or my XD9sc and my OC. We don't hang out in trouble magnets and stay away from the free fire zones in Columbus and burbs unless we absolutely have to be there. I don't have a gear/gadget belt a la Batman or the Green Hornet so I am neither prepared nor do I have the inclination to make the world safe for the rest of humanity by serving as a savior/shepherd for a gaggle of strangers.
 
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Worst case scenario in my mind would be trying to survive after an EMP strike on our country.

How prepared are you for that?
 
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