First – let’s define what a tenet is. According to Merriam-Webster it is:
: a principle, belief, or doctrine generally held to be true;especially : one held in common by members of an organization, movement, or profession
Now that we’ve figured out what it means, here is a list of tenets I hold (in no particular order):
1. I believe that TS will HTF and it’s going to happen sometime in my lifetime.
2. OPSEC is critical for your safety when TSHTF. Don’t advertise the fact that you’re a prepper.
3. When the SHTF people will leave the city looking for food, water, and safety. Try not to be one of those people.
4. If you cover your financial bases you have a better chance of surviving comfortably if the financial sector collapses. Gold is simply a store of wealth. You can’t eat it, but it will hold it’s value and if you have some on-hand you’ll be able to trade it for currency or supplies after the initial fear has passed.
5. Being physically fit can save your life. If you need to bug-out and you can’t carry your 50 lb bug-out bag the necessary distance, or you can’t run, or even walk to safety, you will die. Eat a proper diet and exercise – not only could it save your life in a crisis, but you’ll live a happier and longer life. If you are unable to walk have a plan in place on how you will move to survive.
6. Live with less. By living beneath your means you’ll be able to save money and resources. When TSHTF you won’t be stuck with a pile of useless toys that you can’t get rid of and no food in your pantry.
7. A disaster will hit when you least expect it. It’ll happen on the day when you left your bug-out bag at home, it’ll happen when you don’t have your vehicle to get home, or it’ll happen while you’re on the toilet or sleeping. Be ready to improvise.
8. You will not survive in the woods indefinitely if you have to bug-out. People think they’ll be able to live off the land after an emergency. Believe me, most people will not be able to do this.
9. If forced to bug-out your best bet is to have a secure location to go to and neighbors that you can trust when you get there. You’re better off living in your “bug-in” location.
10. Having enough food and water on-hand for at least three months after a crisis will help see you through most emergencies. Knowledge on how to grow/acquire/hunt your own food will take you across the finish line.
11. Firearms, good training, and a good security system from Safemart, greatly decrease your chance of being a victim if lawless circumstances happen after an emergency. Also, don’t be afraid to run away from a fight after TSHTF if you have nothing to fight for.
12. Growing a garden and living as self sufficiently as possible is good for the environment and good practice if the supply chain breaks down.
13. The mainstream media and the government are unlikely to tell you the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
14. Family is more important than just about anything. Take care of them as best you can.
15. Wilderness survival skills may or may not save your life someday, but it’s a great set of skill to have regardless. It connects you to the land and is spiritually uplifting when you’re out in the woods practicing your skills or just taking a hike with your family.
What are your tenets? What would you add to this list?
-Jarhead Survivor
the rain falls on the just, and the unjust alike.
make sure you have a tarp.
3)… stop the bleeding first.
5)… prepare as you would for a winter storm,
but expect mosquitos.
6) “There are three useless things in aviation. One is the altitude above you, the next is the runway behind you, and the third is the air in your fuel tanks.” Joe Clark, et al. (old pilots joke)
2) … as it turns out, they really are out to get you.
+1
4)… bring a knife to a gun fight.
bring two guns.
or an arsenal…..what ever pleases you…..
it would please me most to avoid the situation all together.
an “arsenal” just isn’t in my budget right now. i still don’t have stored food, or water purification squared away, and i live paycheck to paycheck. the next few months hold enormous SHTF potential for all of us. having more guns than i can carry in one trip, represents a potential loss i could never recover from.
I just want to say “Thank You” for the great COMMON SENSE advice and suggestions on being ready when TSHTF! The more “prepared” we become, the more amazed we are at how many people are getting ready, across all walks of life, rich and poor, country or city folks, well-educated and commoners, something is coming and we are all getting ready, preparing for the unknown…..
We are blessed to live in a very rural area with lots of options for survival. We are working on stashing some critical supplies(the items on this “critical” list vary) on our property in the event we are forced to leave our primary residence….and our “grab it quick” Bug out Bags.
Only thing is that the more prepared we are, the more noticable areas of “non-preparedness” become! Wondering how we can accomplish all we would like to do.
It is amazing how a few dollars spent every time we go to town toward our goals adds up over time.
Everyone has different priorities, requirements and level of comfort that we want to tolerate so all the different input of lists, suggestions and guidance is very much appreciated!
Thanks so much,
OK farm wife
You’re welcome. Thanks for reading.
Maintain a positive attitude of “I will survive”. No matter what crisis comes your way.
Irish Dutch uncle, lmao. But oh so true. Jarhead, the only thing I can think of to add is to stay human enough to interact with others, especially that family, but keep the beast, the primal man we descended from, always at the ready until he’s no longer needed. And keep yer powder dry… I hope you don’t mind if I copy your tenets, for myself…
Copy away!
Thanks!
As distasteful an idea as it may be, explore the circumstances under which you might make the rational decision to permanently emmigrate from this once-great country. I’ll grant you this is a worst-case scenario decision, but consider the real-world history of people who saved their own lives by leaving before the “door closed”:
WASPs in pre-Mugabe Zimbabwe
Non-Muslims in pre-revolutionary Iran
Russians in pre-revolutionary Soviet-block nations
Jews in pre-nazi Germany
American Indians in pre-Manifest Destiny America
Sounds great……but I gotta go to work the next day…7:00 SHARP!! “What to do” with us sheep?
I meant “Sheep”. In quotations………
there’s no place left us to run to…
up in the hills of flyover country maybe. be prepared for a long insurgency.
Right on, good advice Tim (though God forbid & God bless the USA). A corollary – instead of pondering whether to leave “FOREVER”, just be ready to take a “vacation” anytime.
Shall we prepare to “fight the white man”?? That is a question we must ALL consider.
absolutely.
be prepared to deal harshly with everyone that threatens your family.
in the grand scheme of history, the Irish haven’t been considered “White” for all that long either. eugenics was “mainstream” thinking in America, until Hitler took it to its logical extreme.
… and none of the regular commenters here has ever particularly struck me as being a “race-hater”.
An idea I have thought of, as well, Tim, but like Brad said, gotta work to eat, don’t have the funds. And where to go? Europe’s failing, southeast and southwest Asia hold grievances against us, Africa is full of despots, south America is full of drug cartels, and Canada won’t let me bring my guns
Don’t worry. Canada’s great. We got plenty of guns. We can always lend you a couple. Besides, we’re a lot closer than Europe, eh. :-)
Not so sure about #3 as worded. I think things are going to be a lot more complex than people just leaving cities. But, I think it’s safe to say that there’s going to be a lot of migrating around going on.
Bug in here, with bugout backup plan…see what happens
Figured I’d repost the concepts I posted a couple of weeks back:
five concepts that a prepper must get comfortable with:
1) When the S hits TF, it won’t look like you think it will;
2) The S won’t hit TF precisely when you think it will;
3) There is no such thing as being perfectly prepared for any & every possible kind of S hitting TF (especially on a budget), you must prioritize your most likely scenarios and most broadly useful preps;
4) Realize that if the S never hits TF, all you’ve done is provide yourself a “free” 6-month supply of supplemental food, and a bunch of other useful stuff that you might not otherwise have; and
5) In addition to others thinking you’re crazy, you should get used to periods of thinking that you’re crazy YOURSELF. Especially as the S keeps on NOT hitting TF. This is the “normalcy bias” at work in you, and you should look at the world and potential futures as logically as you can, without that “normalcy” filter. If you conclude from a logical assessment of the evidence that everything is dandy, everything will continue to be dandy indefinitely, and “nothing can posibliye go rong”, then good luck to you .
I would add WWFFF
1. Warmth — you will die quickly without warmth. This includes shelter, warmth, and, in most cases, fuel.
2. Water — lack of water will kill more quickly than anything except lack of warmth. Have a source that is, or can be, purified, in addition to an emergency store.
3. Food — you’ll be needing some soon. Only slightly later than warmth and water. Be able to grow, hunt, fish, or otherwise acquire enough to feed you forever. In addition, store 3-6 months worth. Make sure it is edible (to you), and make sure it stays that way (by storing or rotating properly).
4. Fuel — This one is useful for attaining and obtaining Warmth, Water, and Food. Store what you can. Store the kind you’re likely to use. Store it safely. Store it securely. Store it so it will last (this mostly rules out gasoline — “f#@%ing ethanol”)
5. Firearms — This is how you keep what you’ve got. It may also be necessary for obtaining food (hunting). When the SHTF, your government will be your gun, and vice versa.
sorry, I mis-typed the description of “warmth” It should read:
“This includes shelter, clothing, and, in most cases, fuel.”
Watchdog, I may have to take you up on that. Canada is beautiful, and the kind of place I could live in peacetime, I’ll bring the beer
Remember that many quiet people have hidden skills, or a background they might not’ve thought of in “normal 21st-century life”. A few examples I’ve met – “hippie homesteader”, vet, farm boy in the big city, juvie delinquent gone straight, EMS volunteer, history buff, former bouncer, impoverished childhood rags-to-riches – and remember that a lot of people that talk a good “survival” game have never been in the woods, never been in a bad neighborhood, and treat firearms as carelessly as a three-year-old with toys.
yeh, my firearms handling skills are a source of worry.
i haven’t felt comfortable sleeping outdoors, for more than forty years. the TV news is as close as i want to get to any bad neighborhoods. can we still be friends?