"Prepping" as a hobbie

ActionJ

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One of my favorite hobbies is "prepping." That is to say that I enjoy preparing for unforeseen disasters; possible economic collapse; foreign invasion; terrorist activity; or something as simple as unemployment. Although I place my full trust in God I believe that God wants us to use our talents and wisdom in times of trial, trouble, or tribulation.

My wife and I stock up on food, water, and other resources as time and money permits. Our vehicles are equipped with emergency supplies. I used to belong to a "survivalist" forum (several actually) where prepping and survivalism was extensively discussed. My goal is to be able to live off of "the grid" if that ever becomes necessary.

Has anyone else considered preparing for hard and difficult times?
 

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The Parable of the Ten Virgins

25[bless and do not curse]“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2[bless and do not curse]Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3[bless and do not curse]The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4[bless and do not curse]The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5[bless and do not curse]The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

6[bless and do not curse]“At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’

7[bless and do not curse]“Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8[bless and do not curse]The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’

9[bless and do not curse]“‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’

10[bless and do not curse]“But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

11[bless and do not curse]“Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’

12[bless and do not curse]“But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’

13[bless and do not curse]“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

Proverbs 22:3--The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.

There are worse things to do. I personally hope and pray that the Rapture is a real thing so that we can escape God's judgment (Luke 21:36), but it's possible that some bad things could happen before the really bad things happen.
 
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BeeWrangler

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One of my favorite hobbies is "prepping." That is to say that I enjoy preparing for unforeseen disasters; possible economic collapse; foreign invasion; terrorist activity; or something as simple as unemployment. Although I place my full trust in God I believe that God wants us to use our talents and wisdom in times of trial, trouble, or tribulation.

My wife and I stock up on food, water, and other resources as time and money permits. Our vehicles are equipped with emergency supplies. I used to belong to a "survivalist" forum (several actually) where prepping and survivalism was extensively discussed. My goal is to be able to live off of "the grid" if that ever becomes necessary.

Has anyone else considered preparing for hard and difficult times?

I believe in post-tribulation so I do prep to live off grid but not in the way of saving food and stuff. I figure if we are here when things get bad lugging a bunch of food and stuff to a location off grid is not very practical for us. Instead I have been planing a few options of where we can go and learning every edible plant out there... traps for animals like the dead fall trap and different snares, fish traps... different ways to start fires without matches lighters or flints... making smokeless fires and shelters... more knowledge prepping than physical items.
 
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ActionJ

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The Parable of the Ten Virgins

25[bless and do not curse]“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2[bless and do not curse]Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3[bless and do not curse]The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4[bless and do not curse]The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5[bless and do not curse]The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

6[bless and do not curse]“At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’

7[bless and do not curse]“Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8[bless and do not curse]The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’

9[bless and do not curse]“‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’

10[bless and do not curse]“But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

11[bless and do not curse]“Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’

12[bless and do not curse]“But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’

13[bless and do not curse]“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

Proverbs 22:3--The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.

There are worse things to do. I personally hope and pray that the Rapture is a real thing so that we can escape God's judgment (Luke 21:36), but it's possible that some bad things could happen before the really bad things happen.

Howdy and thanks for the reply. I believe that the days to come will be like the days of Noah. Judgment will be meted out but the faithful will be protected during that Great Tribulation just like Noah and His family were. They experienced and witnessed God's judgement but they were saved while it all occurred. Of interest to me is the fact that Noah stocked up with goods and supplies (and a good boat) prior to that great day of judgment.
 
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ActionJ

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I believe in post-tribulation so I do prep to live off grid but not in the way of saving food and stuff. I figure if we are here when things get bad lugging a bunch of food and stuff to a location off grid is not very practical for us. Instead I have been planing a few options of where we can go and learning every edible plant out there... traps for animals like the dead fall trap and different snares, fish traps... different ways to start fires without matches lighters or flints... making smokeless fires and shelters... more knowledge prepping than physical items.

Good for you! That's actually a good plan. I may be too old to attempt living off of the land or the wilderness so my wife and I have decided to make the best of the situation (whatever it may be) right here in the comfort of our home. That's not to say that I won't attempt to hunt and fish and grow some heirloom crops but I don't believe we could handle the physical rigors of wilderness living.

Thanks for your post, by the way.
 
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BeeWrangler

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I'm glad to see my wife and I are not the only ones who believe tough times are ahead. If you enjoy woodworking in any way you should learn to make primitive bows. Not only are they fun to make but they will be helpful for hunting if guns are banned. If you find it hard to draw the bow string back you can make it at around a 25-30lb draw, more than enough to hunt small game. A food dehydrator is a good thing to have too. You can dehydrate just about anything to store away and it is alot cheaper to do it yourself.
You likely know all this, but I just enjoy talking about it :)
 
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ActionJ

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I'm glad to see my wife and I are not the only ones who believe tough times are ahead. If you enjoy woodworking in any way you should learn to make primitive bows. Not only are they fun to make but they will be helpful for hunting if guns are banned. If you find it hard to draw the bow string back you can make it at around a 25-30lb draw, more than enough to hunt small game. A food dehydrator is a good thing to have too. You can dehydrate just about anything to store away and it is alot cheaper to do it yourself.
You likely know all this, but I just enjoy talking about it :)

Thanks for adding to my very lonely conversation. LOL

My wife and I just moved into a larger home complete with full sized, finished basement and a garage. We were previously apartment managers living in a tight-quartered apartment. The extra room we now enjoy will allow us to start canning our own food and will allow me to tinker around in the garage and use my dusty, lonely tools. Haha

A few years ago, I purchased and entire pallet of freeze dried food in #10 cans. I also bought several 5 gallon pales of freeze dried "emergency food" from Costco and Emergency Essentials. We estimate that we have more than 1 year of food stored assuming that only three mouths will be fed (my wife, my stepson, and myself). I also have about 150 gallons of water stored.

It's a true hobby of ours but one with practical applications should times get really tough.

I'd love to learn how to make a bow and to dehydrate foods. Both would be useful and valuable talents.
 
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BeeWrangler

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Here is a link to BorriorBow's channel. I learned most of my bow crafting from him. You can look over his video's but best to start simple with one of his board bows, he explains everything right down to what grain you need to look for.

BoarriorBows's channel - YouTube

Here is a video on dehydrating pasta and sauce... he has some other great video's too.

Dehydrate Pasta With Sauce - YouTube

I have been searching for bushcraft idea's on how to purify water other than having to boil it. Also looking for ways to make a smokeless fire. I figure that charcoal used in a bbq does not give off smoke but makes a lot of heat, so this spring I'm going to try burning some Oak then covering it with earth to put it out before it burns away to ashes. It would be handy if you want to have a fire but don't want your presence to be known.
 
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ActionJ

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Thanks for the videos. I'll check them out.

Outside of boiling I'm not sure how water could be properly and safely purified in a natural, bushcraft setting. I'm assuming some sort of filter system might have to be used. I also know of ways of collecting water via condensation. I've seen it demonstrated. A guy dug a hole; placed a cup in the center of the hole; covered the hole with plastic; put a rock in the center of the plastic just above the cup; and allowed the condensation to collect on the underside of the plastic. The condensation simply dripped into the cup. Not a lot of water was collected but it could mean the difference between life and death in an extreme condition.

I personally have three Berkey Water Filters. It's a gravity system that filters out 99.999% of all impurities. You can also buy special filters that filter out fluoride.

There are a couple of forums designed around survival and prepping. They may have some answers for you:

Frugal's Forums
Bushcraft USA Forums
Survivalist Forum Survival Gear SHTF and TEOTWAWKI Articles
American Preppers Network - National Family Preparedness and Self-Reliance Organization
 
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ActionJ

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Thanks for the videos. I'll check them out.

Outside of boiling I'm not sure how water could be properly and safely purified in a natural, bushcraft setting. I'm assuming some sort of filter system might have to be used. I also know of ways of collecting water via condensation. I've seen it demonstrated. A guy dug a hole; placed a cup in the center of the hole; covered the hole with plastic; put a rock in the center of the plastic just above the cup; and allowed the condensation to collect on the underside of the plastic. The condensation simply dripped into the cup. Not a lot of water was collected but it could mean the difference between life and death in an extreme condition.

I personally have three Berkey Water Filters. It's a gravity system that filters out 99.999% of all impurities. You can also buy special filters that filter out fluoride.

There are a couple of forums designed around survival and prepping. They may have some answers for you:

http://www.frugalsquirrels.com/vb/forum.php
Bushcraft USA Forums

American Preppers Network - National Family Preparedness and Self-Reliance Organization
 
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BeeWrangler

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Thanks for the videos. I'll check them out.

Outside of boiling I'm not sure how water could be properly and safely purified in a natural, bushcraft setting. I'm assuming some sort of filter system might have to be used. I also know of ways of collecting water via condensation. I've seen it demonstrated. A guy dug a hole; placed a cup in the center of the hole; covered the hole with plastic; put a rock in the center of the plastic just above the cup; and allowed the condensation to collect on the underside of the plastic. The condensation simply dripped into the cup. Not a lot of water was collected but it could mean the difference between life and death in an extreme condition.

I personally have three Berkey Water Filters. It's a gravity system that filters out 99.999% of all impurities. You can also buy special filters that filter out fluoride.

There are a couple of forums designed around survival and prepping. They may have some answers for you:

Frugal's Forums
Bushcraft USA Forums
Survivalist Forum Survival Gear SHTF and TEOTWAWKI Articles
American Preppers Network - National Family Preparedness and Self-Reliance Organization

Thanks for the links AJ! I'm thinking a drop of iodine might do the trick with the water... but it would not remove pollution or other nasty stuff... I will see what others come up with. The Berkley water filters sound good, I will check that out too. I'm on a well here so it would be good to have for the house... e coli is always a concern I have with well water.

I've seen the condensation trick done too... handy to know in extreme cases
 
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ActionJ

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Thanks for the links AJ! I'm thinking a drop of iodine might do the trick with the water... but it would not remove pollution or other nasty stuff... I will see what others come up with. The Berkley water filters sound good, I will check that out too. I'm on a well here so it would be good to have for the house... e coli is always a concern I have with well water.

I've seen the condensation trick done too... handy to know in extreme cases

Chlorine bleach (Clorox) is also used by many to turn suspicious water into drinkable water. I've never tried it but it's just more good information:

Emergency Water Purification Calculator
 
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ActionJ

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Dude, what about the zombie apocalypse? You totally gotta prepare for that!

Not too sure about a "zombie apocalypse" but I was front and center during the "Rodney King" riots of the 1990s and saw much of the fire, smoke, looting, and mayhem. I also watched (on television) the attempted murder of Reginald Denny (the truck driver who unwittingly found himself surrounded by the "zombies" during that crisis). Too bad he hadn't been a bit more prepared.

Unfortunately, I live near a fairly large city and I (like most folks) watch the news. Rioting is a fairly common occurrence these days (Greece, Egypt, and anywhere a soccer game may occur). It's unwise to believe that it CAN'T happen here. Do I believe it will happen? Not necessarily and I hope it never does. Am I prepared for mass violence? A lot more so than most folks!:)
 
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BeeWrangler

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Dude, what about the zombie apocalypse? You totally gotta prepare for that!


I have been searching for Andrew Lincoln and Norman Reedus' phone numbers for such an occasion, I believe having them in my group with their vast zombie fighting knowledge would be imperative for survival.
 
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BeeWrangler

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Not too sure about a "zombie apocalypse" but I was front and center during the "Rodney King" riots of the 1990s and saw much of the fire, smoke, looting, and mayhem. I also watched (on television) the attempted murder of Reginald Denny (the truck driver who unwittingly found himself surrounded by the "zombies" during that crisis). Too bad he hadn't been a bit more prepared.

Unfortunately, I live near a fairly large city and I (like most folks) watch the news. Rioting is a fairly common occurrence these days (Greece, Egypt, and anywhere a soccer game may occur). It's unwise to believe that it CAN'T happen here. Do I believe it will happen? Not necessarily and I hope it never does. Am I prepared for mass violence? A lot more so than most folks!:)


I agree it is unwise not to prep for any (possible) occasion. The bible tells us point blank there will be an end, but even aside from that there is always catastrophes that we see all around the world every year. To think it could never happen to us or never happen in our area is kind of crazy. Even the Government has game plans for catastrophes
 
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grasping the after wind

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Just to be a contrarian I thought I'd post the below.


Matthew 6: 19-34


19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
 
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BeeWrangler

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Just to be a contrarian I thought I'd post the below.


Matthew 6: 19-34


19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

I agree with what your saying to a point. When it speaks of treasures of earth I believe it is speaking of hording things like money, jewelery... stuff that you hold onto that you don't need, never intend on using, does nothing for you, but you keep it because you simply want it and feel you can't let go of it. Supplies are things you may need, they are useful unlike diamond rings or whatever tickles your fancy that is totally useless.
I also agree we should trust God in all things, not worry about food ect. But that does not mean we should never go to the grocery store, it does not mean we should expect food to fall from the sky. Gathering food/supplies is not putting doubt in God anymore than going to the grocery store each week and keeping food in the fridge/freezer is not trusting God. Trusting God is believing everything is his will, it does not mean we should never gather but only expect food to fall from the sky.
Everything written above is pointing to putting God before all things, trusting in him in all ways and not being trapped by concerning ourselves with worldly objects. We are to depend on God, not the world. But that does not mean we stand infront of a moving bus and expect God will not let it hit us, or never work or do anything to survive. If I walk infront of a bus to see if God saves me is not the same as standing infront of a bus you did not see and believing God will do his will. quitting my job so God can spoon feed me is not the same as loosing my job and trusting God will help me find a new one. Sitting in one spot waiting for food to fall from the sky is not the same as trusting God will provide a job or whatever is needed for me to eat. Sitting in the middle of a war zone waiting for God to zap you into a safe place is not the same as being in the middle of a war zone and praying for protection but seeking a safe place at the same time, trusting Gods will whatever the outcome may be.
There is nothing wrong with preparing, it is to prepare and have have no faith in God that is wrong.
 
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grasping the after wind

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I agree with what your saying to a point. When it speaks of treasures of earth I believe it is speaking of hording things like money, jewelery... stuff that you hold onto that you don't need, never intend on using, does nothing for you, but you keep it because you simply want it and feel you can't let go of it. Supplies are things you may need, they are useful unlike diamond rings or whatever tickles your fancy that is totally useless.
I also agree we should trust God in all things, not worry about food ect. But that does not mean we should never go to the grocery store, it does not mean we should expect food to fall from the sky. Gathering food/supplies is not putting doubt in God anymore than going to the grocery store each week and keeping food in the fridge/freezer is not trusting God. Trusting God is believing everything is his will, it does not mean we should never gather but only expect food to fall from the sky.
Everything written above is pointing to putting God before all things, trusting in him in all ways and not being trapped by concerning ourselves with worldly objects. We are to depend on God, not the world. But that does not mean we stand infront of a moving bus and expect God will not let it hit us, or never work or do anything to survive. If I walk infront of a bus to see if God saves me is not the same as standing infront of a bus you did not see and believing God will do his will. quitting my job so God can spoon feed me is not the same as loosing my job and trusting God will help me find a new one. Sitting in one spot waiting for food to fall from the sky is not the same as trusting God will provide a job or whatever is needed for me to eat. Sitting in the middle of a war zone waiting for God to zap you into a safe place is not the same as being in the middle of a war zone and praying for protection but seeking a safe place at the same time, trusting Gods will whatever the outcome may be.
There is nothing wrong with preparing, it is to prepare and have have no faith in God that is wrong.

I was only quoting I was not saying a thing. What I do think is that when one starts to prepare for every possible future contingency one begins to "take thought for the morrow".
 
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