My preparations started with food, toilet paper, and water, but over the last year and a half, I have noticed that the more you buy, the more you realize you need It seems that no matter what I have, I want more. It's bizarre. For example, I just got and AR-15, then I started thinking about watching gaurd at night, and I decided I needed a night vision device, which I got. Then I thought, what about daytime, so I bought cammo, then I thought, what about tetanis, so I am going to get my tetanis (sp?) on Monday. I mean, every time I think, "once I get that (whatever that is), my preparation is done", but it never works that way. Anyone else have this experience?

-- Orson Wells (wells@whitebulb.com), December 12, 1999

Answers

It's an incredible addiction that manifests often as checking the prices of tuna wherever you go and always buying a few cans of something when at the grocery. Look, it couldn't hurt, right? I don't expect to find Sensodyne and Nikes in the store next year--if that's what floats your boat. Look, I don't even know when the concept "store" will be reinvented.

-- Mara (MaraWayne@aol.com), December 12, 1999.

Orson,

I'm suffering from the same syndrome, as I suspect many are. BTW, do you have any tips on where to get reasonably priced night vision?

-- ivan (ivan1776@ivnet.net), December 12, 1999.

Troll advisory.

-- (issuing@troll.advisory), December 12, 1999.

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/ Be Smart,Buy Now!

-- John Malone (paranoid@mybunker.com), December 12, 1999.

Troll?? What did I possibly say that would make me a troll? That's really uncalled for! Anyway, to answer your question Ivan, I did alot of research, so I can say with absolute certainty where to get night vision...www.x20.org.

-- Orson Wells (wells@whitebulb.com), December 12, 1999.

Orson: I'll tell ya what'll take care of the nonstop prepping:

First, run out of money, as we have. Then you get to stress out till the end of the year.

Then, wait about 19 more days. You'll just about HAVE to stop prepping and start living. Maybe before 19 days if general panic ensues.

We have run out of resources. Hubby gets paid the 15th and we will pay this months bills. I get paid the 17th, normally used for next month's mortgage, etc. I will buy some last minute things out of that money and hold onto the rest.

Hubby gets paid again the 30th. What will it be like then? Normal, is my guess, but will he be able to CASH the check?

-- preparing (preparing@home.com), December 12, 1999.

See, that's the trouble with you rich folks! (LOL). I started out buying the luxurious Green Giant, 3 cans for 99cents, and Angel Soft rather than a$$ rags. Now that we're 3 weeks away, I'm trying to decide whether my last $10 goes to an extra bag of rice, or of dog food. Because the dogs like rice alot more than I like Ol'Roy, my choice is easy. Us poor folks buy the luxuries when there is time to spare, along with our staples. Now that time is short we know to max out staples because one bag of rice means we eat for an extra 2 weeks, or our neighbors can feed their babies for an extra 2 weeks.

BTW, Sam's has a night periscope for around $100 in the electronics glass case.

-- Hokie (nn@va.com), December 12, 1999.

Keep buying coffee.

-- impala (impala@wild.com), December 12, 1999.

I love you, too. *KISS*

-- (ladybuckeye_59@yahoo.com), December 12, 1999.

Orson - I know exactly what you mean! I absolutely never go into a grocery store (or any store that carries some food) and not buy 1 can of soup (along with whatever prep items are on my list), I figure I have 3-4 cans (some favorites or sale soups are many more of course)of every kind of soup imaginable! I love it. When I run low on cash I add to my survival tips books.

There is truth to buying something and then that brings to mind all the scenarios that go with that something, therefore, you are compelled to complete all items for that scenario. I've done it many times, but on a very limited budget.

-- Sammie (sammiex0@hotmail.com), December 12, 1999.

Yes, I'm another one who can't go into a store without buying more of whatever is cheap/on sale - I'm so tuna'd out, I lean now toward cans of chile to put on top of that ton of rice. Funds are gone here too. One more payday 12-20 I can count on, to pay bills & mortgage - next payday 01-05 & I'm not counting on it. I've never been so stressed in my life (59 years); many of us here are the same, and I think that's why we continue to buy food. Addiction to prepping? Maybe, but that's the safest addiction I can think of!

In the words of Tiny Tim, God bless us, every one.

-- Scat (sgcatique@webtv.net), December 12, 1999.

1) You can never be 100% prepared for the unknown. If you could, it wouldn't be unknown! This also means that we will prepare things that are not (in the last analysis) necessary...but which might have been necessary for an alternate disaster/situation.

2) By stocking up when things are on sale, you cut your overall cost of living. This is merely prudent stewardship of our limited resources...something that we should do on a regular basis.

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), December 12, 1999.

Sometimes me and the wife will get up in the middle of the night and head out to the 24hr Wal-Mart. It's the only way we can get back to sleep. I feel closer to God there than in Church now days. Visa has a hitman out looking for me. That little speech Clinton gave about how everything was OK and there was no need to buy milk,tp or bread cost me a bundle. I'll stop preparing when they pry my cold dead fingers off my credit card.

-- Bubba Smith (duck&cover@tshtf.com), December 12, 1999.

Orson, you might be really grateful, and may in fact be following psychic instincts. For instance, I had followed the advice to obtain two pair of new eye glasses this past summer. Frankly, I had some small regrets figuring I'd have one unused pair by the end of it all. Last night I was falling asleep and I kept hearing a strange thumpish sounding noise. "The kittens! My iMac!" I jumped out of bed and ran towards the livingroom in this hysterical panic my iMac might be in danger. Nope, the iMac was untouched. Five kittens were in the center of the room around an object being bitten and battered in this opening of the Thunderdome. My eye glasses!

-- Paula (chowbabe@pacbell.net), December 12, 1999.

I keep thinking that if it really is TEOTWAWKI, people who loot and riot aren't going to clean the stores out of everything before they either die or are taken away. For example, they'll probably go for stereo equipment before bags of dog food. They'll scramble for canned goods and water, but forget pepto bismal and tylenol..The stores will still have some "stuff" laying around in them when all is said and done. So will your neighbors homes, once they've been carted off.

That being said..I still grab a bargain when I see it on canned goods, etc. Can't hurt. Thanks Hokie for making me feel stoopid about my three 50lb bags of Ol'Roy down in the basement...my dogs certainly would have eaten rice too..I just didn't think of it.

-- kritter (kritter@adelphia.net), December 12, 1999.

You, HUMANS! Tsk! Rice! It's bad enough our dog food is full of cereal, but you're going to feed us PURE rice? I want PROTEIN. I want ... the CAT!

Arf-Arf

-- (Arf!@bow-wow.com), December 12, 1999.

Hey Arf, BACK OFF!

-- Fluffy (purrin@mylitterbox.com), December 12, 1999.

I have had more belly laughs reading this thread than any past. Maybe its because I can identify.

Bubba, I am still giggling, your post made my day. Not to say that a hitman is funny, but when the local UPS man came to our door late last night with an innocent package, I ducked and covered when he knocked rather than just asked who it was. You would have thought it was the rat-a-tat-tat of machine gun fire rather than a simple knock at my door.

Of course, the fire dept's alarm here in NJ sounds like an Air Raid siren, which was going off at the same time.

I think I have been reading too much. However, knowing there are others feeling skittish helps. Thanks for a good laugh! Next time the UPS guy comes, maybe I wont hit the deck.

Danielle

-- Danielle (DanielleJh@aol.com), December 12, 1999.

Glad to know I'm not alone in my addiction. In fact, I JUST got back from BJ's (Same as Sams Club) and bought 2 huge packs of chocolate bars...that's in addition to the 4 I already have. I figure it will be good comfort food, the kids will love it (the neighbors kids I mean), and if some poor souls come looking for food, I'll throw em a Snickers.

-- Orson Wells (wells@whitebulb.com), December 12, 1999.

Orson -

We are very pleased with our x2.4 night vision scope. It has an illuminator w/pistol-grip handle and a 300ft. range of view. Includes tripod mount for steady viewing. Uses a 9 volt battery. Cost $99.99 from Harbor Freight Tools 1-800-423-2567. If you are interested, the item number is 40670-OBEA.

-- Lurkess (Lurkess@Lurking.com), December 12, 1999.

Re: Arf & Fluffy...I knew this Y2K thing was going to get ugly.

-- Bubba Smith (duck&cover@tshtf.com), December 12, 1999.

Yup.. I'm just as addicted as the rest of you. Whatever's on 2-fer sale mostly. But... though there's much arranging to do, and I still need to lay in a load of sawdust and order more seeds and a few dozen other things... still there is a change in the mood - at least in my head. I no longer need to listen to my tapes of Gary North and Ed Yourdon (for the hundredth time) while I do chores. I no longer need to spend SO many hours here STILL convincing myself that I am NOT crazy (even while prepping). Its now deep in my bones that whatever is broke is broke. What will be, will be. The don't-worry-be-happy folks can blow smoke up someone else's arse. I'm spending as much time as possible listening to all my old records. (my solar radio doesn't have a tape deck or CD player). Boy, have I heard some good music in my time. I'm enjoying the Christmas decorations around my house. Enjoying the weather. Savoring each minute like a fine wine. Want to see some favorite movies over the next couple of weeks.

Enjoy it all folks. This time is SPECIAL.

Either it may be the last of the good ol' days...

... or it may be the last of the days when you thought you were sane and knew how to reason things out.

-- Linda (lwmb@psln.com), December 12, 1999.

Come to think of it,I don't like the way the UPS guy has been looking at me lately...Also, thanks alot Arf, now my cat wants Pepper Spray.

-- John Malone (paranoid@mybunker.com), December 12, 1999.

I don't buy preps anymore, unless something is a bargain. What I have been doing is buying the best meats and fresh food available and making some fantastic dinners every day until the rollover. I have preped for almost two years and I (checkbook) finally said enough. I don't worry about another bag of rice. I found my DH in our pantry getting together a bag of food for a food drive. He was really proud that we had more than enough to share, this was the first time I had seen him happy about my preps.

-- Carol (glear@usa.net), December 12, 1999.

We're not nuts and I have proof! I saw my Professional Mental Health Care Provider at Sam's the other day buying a 50lb bag of rice and a lot of TP. He pretended he didn't know me and looked real scared. What's up with that?

-- Bubba Smith (duck&cover@tshtf.com), December 12, 1999.

Hey, my wife and I have lived in the boondocks for 25 years and were better preped than 99% of the prep'ers before they began their preps. We had a backup generator before they were cool. Wow! I got wood gas plans last year. Double wow!

Yea, it's addictive. I loved this kind of stuff even when there wasn't any need for it. You can never have enough stuff. Heck, I fixed our 2 gallon sprayer yesterday because I could canablize another one that I had saved for parts. How many of you can say that?

Seriously, I'm on the far end of doomers and, if you purchse correctly, none of the money is wasted.

Todd

-- Todd Detzel (detzel@jps.net), December 12, 1999.

Orson:

Lack of cash and having no credit card has put a damper on my last days preparations. I finally took Gary North's advice to get an additional pair of eye glasses. Since my last optometrist checkup in 1995, my prescription has changed. I made a down payment and need to fork over $144 more when they arrive, hopefully before Christmas. An optometrist clerk suggested that people who wear contact lenses should purchase a full year's supply, because they're cheaper in large quantities.

My remaining paychecks for 1999 will go for rent and utilities. Sometimes I truly wish I had a credit card so I could max it out, but I feel terrible about being in debt, so I'll decline those ubiquitous credit card offers. Easy credit and deeper debt are sure signs our economic bubble will inevitably burst. Next year will be different in negative ways. These are the last good times in America.

Don't forget to buy more matches and dental floss.

-- dinosaur (dinosaur@williams-net.com), December 12, 1999.

For some reason, chili and beans is always on sale, with or without coupons, in my area. NOW I need to stock up on deoderant candles.

-- A (A@AisA.com), December 12, 1999.

I need help to if you find a cure befor it is to late let me know. I guess we will have to stop when you know what starts.

-- wacko (gonewackie@aol.com), December 12, 1999.

A serious prep person never feels completely prepped in my opinion. I have the same urges. Regardless of what you have, you always have that nagging sensation that there is something else that you should add to the stash.

Preps are like buying life insurance. You don't want to use it or need it, but it sure is nice to have.

I bought Russian night vision binoculars several years ago and I'm very enthusiastic about them. IMHO, a critical item for those concerned about security.

Good Luck!

-- Irving (irvingf@myremarq.com), December 12, 1999.

Yesss! I am not alone. I have to fight my car everytime I pass a grocery store. The poor thing has been conditioned to turn in so frequently.

Sadly, the grocery store ads have become my favorite reading material (I'm saving all unread novels for later). I probably know the price of every canned vegetable, and every brand of TP, at every store within a 30 mile radius.

I am now oblivious to the stares of other shoppers as I wheel my loaded shopping cart deftly around the store. I am not certain, but some people may recognize me, I get asked where certain items are more often than the clerks do. Of course it could be that my buggy indicates that I have intimate knowledge of every aisle in the store!

My greatest fear about Y2K is that I will be forever addicted to stockpiling food. This could cause serious problems in my marriage as my husband is demanding the computer room back (picky, picky, picky).

Are we going to start a FSA (Food Stockpilers Anonymous) group? If so I want to join!

-- Dian (bdp@accessunited.com), December 12, 1999.

I'm ready! Got one hundred 'Martha Stewart' shows on VHS.

-- Bubba Smith (duck&cover@tshtf.com), December 12, 1999.

Prepping is definitely addictive. Sometimes it helps to step back for a larger perspective. No matter how much stuff you stockpile, or how well you hide, you'll never be more than 75% prepared (hypothetical). Unless you have the support of your community, the percentage is much less. I used to worry about not enough preparations. Since I realized that we're all in this together, and that I will help my neighbors (who haven't prepared), I worry a lot less. Just a thought.

-- Michael (mhgentry@prodigy.net), December 12, 1999.

A said:

"For some reason, chili and beans is always on sale, with or without coupons, in my area. NOW I need to stock up on deoderant candles."

Now I don't want to start up THAT old discussion, BUT....

WhatEVER you do, A, do NOT have an open flame in you house!!!

-Greybear

-- Got Gas Masks?

-- Greybear (greybear@home.com), December 12, 1999.

Uh, went to the least expensive feed mill within 40 miles yesterday.........

Bought a 'little extra" feed for the small livestock (pygmy goats, pot bellied pigs, rabbits, and chickens).

Let's see, 1500 pounds of shelled corn, 1000 pounds of soymeal, and 750 pounds each of oats and wheat.

For $292.00

So, I'll mix my own feed, and if I have really unexpected/unwanted guests, I know what they will be eating. And using my worst hand mill, too...............

According to my copy of Nuclear War Survival Skills, if it came down to it, that amount of grain could feed 10 people a fairly balanced diet, for 10 months.

-- mushroom (mushroom_bs_too_long@yahoo.com), December 12, 1999.

Mushroom, you don't need to store alot of food if you are raising animals...you know what kind of amazinf barter thats going to be? I'll hopefully be raising goats.

-- Orson Wells (wells@whitebulb.com), December 13, 1999.

Greybear -- Do you know of any reference material on how to collect and compress methane for fuel use? The only thing I can think of is "Depends" sealed with duct tape, and a hose to some sort of compressor setup, but that would limit my mobility. :o)

-- A (A@AisA.com), December 13, 1999.

I keep wondering....Will there ever be that wonderful day when I leave the supermarket without a few extra paks of TP? My garage is so stuffed I will need a shoehorn to slip anything else in but I keep on prepping. There just has to be a little room somewhere for something.

-- Homeschooling Grandma (mlaymon@glenn-co.k12.ca.us), December 14, 1999.