[68 Whiskey]

Hello everyone! Wanted to get into prepping for a while now, and seeing as everything's likely to go down the toilet come November, I figured now's a good time. Just wanted to say hello to the community and share where I am with my preps (and hopefully receive some advice and direction).

My location: Athens, Ohio. I'm outside of town, but not as far out as I'd like to be. Live in a duplex house (we're upstairs). Need advice on a BoL. TONS of national forest land so that's where my mind immediately goes.

Food: I have a small amount of dehydrated food. Enough for maybe a couple weeks. Plan on stocking up on that since it has such a long shelf life. (30 years).

Water: I do not have any water stored. I do, however, have a Katadyn Vario microfilter and iodine tablets. I don't have a lot of storage space so I was thinking of sticking with filters and iodine tablets rather than large stores of water. Need advice!!

Defense: I have a S&W MP Shield 9mm as my personal carry. My wife has a Ruger LCP custom. Probably a couple hundred rounds for each. My first order of business with my preps is to get a long gun. Probably going to build an AR15 from Palmetto State Armory. Thoughts?

Other stuff: I do have a bugout bag in case we need to move quickly from our home. Contains small medical kit, extra clothes, sleeping bags, water filter, food, knife, paracord, MSR pocket rocket stove w/gas, and a magnesium fire starter.

I know it's not much, but hey it's a start right? Probably more than the average Joe. But I encourage and welcome any advice that some of the veterans out there can offer! Thanks in advance!

 

[Camel923]

Greetings from PA. With the filters and iodine tabs, do you have a close by natural water source? Sawyer minis are very convenient. Are you bugging in or bugging out? If bugging out, shelter will be on your list and a plan as to destination and route. Good to see you have started.

 

[whoppo]

 

[SDF880]

Hello from KY. I know where Athens is I used to live in SW Ohio and made a few road trips.
Lots of good info here!

 

[bigwheel]

Hearty welcome on over here from Foat Wurth, TX. Let us strive to not be no steenken strangers.

 

[Denton]

Welcome from Alabama.

 

[txmarine6531]

Welcome from South Texas. If you have a bath tub, look into a water BOB.

http://www.amazon.com/waterBOB-Emergency-Drinking-Storage-Gallons/dp/B001AXLUX2

 

[SGG]

Welcome!

 

[A Watchman]

Welcome from NE Texas.

 

[Targetshooter]

Welcome to PF from NC . We all have to start some were , you are doing good , if you are planning on begging out to a park I would get a camper " a small pop up will do " to pull behind your BOV ,, you can stock it up with supplies , I know a few people that are doing that . Good luck and keep posting .

 

[68 Whiskey]

Greetings from PA. With the filters and iodine tabs, do you have a close by natural water source? Sawyer minis are very convenient. Are you bugging in or bugging out? If bugging out, shelter will be on your list and a plan as to destination and route. Good to see you have started.

That's an area I really need some advice on. Would my living situation be ok for bugging in? Or would bugging out be a better option? What factors do i take into consideration when trying to determine that? Thanks a bunch

 

[paraquack]

Welcome to the group from Southern Arizona.
Land of Sun, Surf, and Sand.
Ok, I lied, no surf, unless you count the flash floods
in the washes, but enough sand to fill all the sand bags I’ll ever need!
Grab a stump and sit a spell. I’ll get you a virtual beer.

 

[rice paddy daddy]

Welcome from the Florida/Georgia border.

 

[Moonshinedave]

Hello 68 and welcome to the site.

 

[Boss Dog]

Welcome from SC.

 

[Prepared One]

Welcome from Houston.

 

[Will2]

Just wanted to say hello to the community and share where I am with my preps (and hopefully receive some advice and direction).

My location: Athens, Ohio. I'm outside of town, but not as far out as I'd like to be. Live in a duplex house (we're upstairs). Need advice on a BoL. TONS of national forest land so that's where my mind immediately goes.

If you ever do decide to move and want an Alaska like experience but still be nextdoor to Ohio
http://www.prepperforums.net/forum/...nt-start-community-off-grid-3.html#post395151

Food: I have a small amount of dehydrated food. Enough for maybe a couple weeks. Plan on stocking up on that since it has such a long shelf life. (30 years).

It is fairly cheap to stock up on rice, flour, beans and lentils for a 6 month supply. It may not be what you eat regularly but it can create an emergency stop gap for a lot less than what packaged options cost.
You can also bag and bucket this stuff with an oxygen absorber for long term storage.

Water: I do not have any water stored. I do, however, have a Katadyn Vario microfilter and iodine tablets. I don't have a lot of storage space so I was thinking of sticking with filters and iodine tablets rather than large stores of water. Need advice!!

I think water heaters are the easiest way to get tanks for water storage. If you buy bottled water 10L jugs or the 20L office water tank variety are likely the easiest way forward on water storage. If you are bugging in then having local water supply is good but the filters are also really useful.

Defense: I have a S&W MP Shield 9mm as my personal carry. My wife has a Ruger LCP custom. Probably a couple hundred rounds for each. My first order of business with my preps is to get a long gun. Probably going to build an AR15 from Palmetto State Armory. Thoughts?

I don't consider the AR to be a hunting rifle. Not sure what you would be hunting in Ohio. Personally I would go a shotgun or .300+calibre for my primary rifle so I could take down larger game easier.

Here is something to consider http://www.realtree.com/guns-and-shooting/articles/how-to-set-up-an-ar-15-for-hunting

Other stuff: I do have a bugout bag in case we need to move quickly from our home. Contains small medical kit, extra clothes, sleeping bags, water filter, food, knife, paracord, MSR pocket rocket stove w/gas, and a magnesium fire starter.

where are your lighters an matches? Also I highly recommend the MSS while a sleeping bag is good a bivy bag in the modular sleep system makes outdoor sleeping a lot more comfortable, sleeping bags alone tend to get wet and make sleeping soggy. I would not go heavy on clothes you might consider the silkweight layer 1s or ecwcs clothing system just certain parts particularly the silk weights and the cold/wet layer. I would do some type of wool sweater and lots of socks. In winter you may consider the layer 7s and the layer 2 unders. It saves the need to have a lot of clothes. If you are packing things like cotton for winter use just rethink your bagging. don't forget gloves and balaclavas also consider ballistic goggles that are insulated for winter use.

I know it's not much, but hey it's a start right? Probably more than the average Joe. But I encourage and welcome any advice that some of the veterans out there can offer! Thanks in advance!

just remember to field testing. having a bunch of stuff and not being use to using it make it dead weight. this means getting out there having a backpack that you actually find comfortable and can hike with your stuff in it etc.. Since most evacs are size limited seriously consider what you take. weight can matter. The difference between 20 50 and 70 lbs can be very noticeable when you are carrying it on your back. You might eventually consider getting a tactical load bearing system to distribute smaller items. While this may seem all military, the fact is military don't dress the way they do to look like the military they do it because it is an effective loadout for carrying weight over distance. Its not about being militant it is about having capability that people in civies don't have.

 

[Broncosfan]

Welcome from Ohio just a few miles northeast.

 

[MisterMills357]

Welcome to the forum.
"Water: I do not have any water stored. I do, however, have a Katadyn Vario microfilter and iodine tablets. I don't have a lot of storage space so I was thinking of sticking with filters and iodine tablets rather than large stores of water. Need advice!!"

Think about using chlorine bleach, Lowe's has some that is 8% chlorine, and that is the cheapest way that I know of, to make bad water drinkable.