How to prepare for a possible wartime situation. Updated April 15, 2024
Being an admin of a large prepping group, I get to see many different types of preppers. Most of the preppers in my group are rank beginners who have no clue about how to prep. I posted the "Three Days and Three Weeks" post with them in mind.
But among the more experienced preppers are those who are keenly aware that all is not right in the world. These preppers are not only preparing for the every day emergencies, whether financial or physical, whether natural disasters or power outages. They have a larger view of what is going on in our country and around the world.
Unfortunately, we are dealing with "wars and rumors of wars". Many had already suspected that we would face a war or even a civil war in the next few years. The conflict between Russia and Ukraine brought that into focus, as Russia started to threaten the Baltic States and Poland and Romania because of western support for Ukraine.
Then the massacre of Israelis by Hamas members happened on October 7. New preppers flooded into the Prepping group in droves as they realized that they had better prepare for disaster NOW.
Tensions have continued to rise in the Middle East involving Hezbollah, Syria, Iran and the Houthis of Yemen. Our personnel were attacked and killed, and now the US is conducting retaliatory attacks on Iran. There are rumors, too, that Russia will attack Poland in the fairly near future, and now the group is having another rush of members.
And now we are facing serious conflict between Iran and Israel. If this escalates to an all out war, we will be affected significantly
The US is having trouble internally, too. Not only are we so very divided politically, but it seems the powers that be prefer to have us as divided as possible. Our own government came against Texas for seeking to defend it's own border against the flood of illegal immigrants, including criminal immigrants, and essentially sanctioned Texas by hitting their energy industry. Governors and states have drawn clear lines for and against the rising tide of immigration, and for or against the policies of the current administration. Our border is still wide open, and thousands of illegal immigrants are pouring in from many different nations, and not all of them friendly. Not only that, in our own borders, in Michigan and other places, those who live here are crying out "death to America".
There is a rising culture of fear about the possibility of conflict, and it is not totally unjustified.
So, how does one properly prep for a war?
To encourage you, many of the things we already do to prepare are exactly what is needed to prepare for a potential conflict.
Food
We can start with our basic food preps - the three day, three week, and three month plan. Purchase and store what you like to eat. Can and preserve the goodies you like. Rinse and repeat for all seasons. This is some thing we already do, and it will carry us through any food rationing we may have to face. It will benefit you to add foraging to your skillset.
In addition to your food preps, add a "victory garden". This was encouraged, even for those who lived in the suburbs and cities. Wherever there is a plot of ground, make it produce food for you and your family. I know so many of you already have a productive garden, but, for those of you who have not started a garden yet, NOW is the time to start growing food. Learning how to garden has a learning curve that you need to overcome without giving up. Please grow your own food, as much as you can!!
Community
Take the time to get to know your neighbors and assess their capabilities in case we do face a SHTF situation. Be friendly. Do some favors. Bring some cookies. Help them where you can. You may develop some lifelong friends or you will discover who will be the weak links. I've heard about Mutual Assistance Groups (MAG) - like-minded people who commit to helping each other if everything falls apart, and I would like to develop one in my area. If you are blessed to find a group like this near you, or you can build a group like this, be very grateful and invest in keeping the community close and the friendships alive.
Where do you find a group like this? It might be some church friends who are concerned about the state of affairs in the world. Maybe you can find some friends who are preppers on social media? Our Prepping group has a long list of state and regional chat rooms that can help you with making friends and seeking a group. Be cautious, though, with anyone you meet online, and meet only in public. Don't be too open about your preps and your location until you can establish trust.
Communication
If we do end up on wartime footing, you will need to be able to communicate with your family and friends and your MAG. If our country is attacked, WiFi and internet service may or may not work. Most microwave stations are designed to work for a few days on a generator if the power goes out. If cell phone towers went out, do you have a landline to your home? They may work if bad actors have not attacked the switches. Do you have two way radios? We have Baofeng radios that are HAM radios, but they can be tuned to emergency services if you have access to the frequencies. I advise looking up the local frequencies online and noting them before you need them. School bus frequencies and often school frequencies are available publicly. There is no license required to listen in on a Ham Radio. You would need a license under normal circumstances to transmit a message, though.
Rationing of Commodities
If we do end up in a serious wartime situation, some supplies and commodities will be limited or rationed. We should be able to go about 30 days after transportation stops, and after that even regional warehouses would be cleared out. Have you thought about having good hand tools and supplies for your preps? What other supplies do you need to maintain your home and vehicles?
One of the first things rationed during the second world war was fuel. Do you heat your home with oil? Will you have ready access to propane? This is where those with wood stoves would have an advantage in the winter. Do you have the ability to store stabilized fuel?
Self Sufficiency
During the second world war, people became creative and resourceful. They created delicious recipes with the foods they had. They were able to invent ways to keep their homes maintained and vehicles running that were unconventional but effective. They became self sufficient because they had to. The more we can do to be less dependent and more self sufficient will always be to our advantage. Can you sew or knit warm clothes? Can you repair items in your home without a trip to Home Depot? Can you find food while you take a walk outside? Can you hunt and trap game? Can you find some crawfish in the pond or creek? Can you "MacGyver" things to make them work?
Defense
The worst case scenario is where we would have to use our firearms to defend ourselves. Many of you, my humble readers, have far more expertise than I have. I will strongly advise everyone to not just let those pretty firearms sit in their safe or wherever you want to keep them. Please practice using your weapons and become proficient with them!!
Spiritual, Mental, and Physical Preparedness
If we have all our preps in place but do not care for and strengthen our bodies, minds, and hearts, we will be the weak link. You would be surprised at how far faith, strength, and mental resilience and toughness can take you.
A Few Other Considerations
Please, get yourself in the best position you can financially. Reduce your debt. Budget your income and begin to develop a surplus so you won't be left high and dry when hard times come.
Make sure you keep up on your auto maintenance so your vehicles will be available if you need to leave an area quickly or to relocate if necessary. Always have at least a half a tank of gas in your vehicles. Keep a bug out bag or a get home bag in your vehicles with some supplies you will need for a couple of days.
I know this humble article does not cover everything that would be said about preparing for a wartime situation. Maybe you could make a comment about what I neglected to say. Please do comment so I can know what you are thinking.
We hope for the best and prepare for the worst. Pray for peace but prepare for war.
Many Kind Regards,
Ruth
PS: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and there are Amazon links in the article. Please know that you are under no obligation to purchase anything I link, but I may benefit if you do, and I thank you in advance. No matter what you choose, I am grateful that you are here!
PPS: Have Fun Prepping!!!
ความคิดเห็น