Confessions of an Urban Prepper
 

Confessions of an Urban Prepper

Well, I have been a GIM lurker for a long time and feel it has been a tremendously valuable resource for me and my family. I am one of those guys you ultra-hard core preppers scorn. I live in a large and very densely packed Southern city. To give you an idea, the last acre of land in my development sold recently for $2.5 million dollars, yes one acre. So, I wanted to share what I have been able to do while living in �town� since not everyone has a �back 40� on GIM. It can be done, prepping is a state of mind which does not depend on any particular location to accomplish.

I am very blessed to have a wonderful, stable and secure job (I am the Boss) that affords me the resources to prep to a very high degree. I have made a conscious decision to relocate my family to a more rural location fairly soon, however, this is only possible due to �roughing it� in the big city for the past 5 years. Yes, I realize that the world will not fall apart on my timetable and that it is very doubtful I can �time� a crash. So, potentially, and possibly at my peril, I am still acquiring the financial resources that will soon allow me to relocate my family, my way, on my timeline.

I can honestly say that my preps are now in the best shape they can be in my current location. That is not to say they cannot be better, but in my Urban situation, I am proud of what I have accomplished. My budget while not unlimited, has been extremely high due in-part to my �big city� salary, debt-free living, paid off new vehicles, conventional mortgage with equity (yes, even today with values off by 40%+) and financial discipline learned the hard way (by crawling out of debt). I could not have accomplished 10% of what I have in a rural setting (applies to myself only, no other implications).

I have approximately 6 months of food for my immediate family and rations for my non-prepping Father and Brother LOL. I have a couple hundred gallons of water and the means to treat and filter more when necessary. I own medical kits that would make a field surgeon proud with rotated prescription meds included (neighbors are MD�s). Two high quality EBR�s with several thousand rounds of 556, 12 gauge shotguns with 1000 rounds of OO buck and numerous other handguns with supplies of proper ammo. I have the practice, training and will to use them to defend my family and property.

If and when the SHTF, my first plan to is �bug in� and if the situation allows, wait out the first wave of failed evacs. We have had mandatory evacs in my hurricane area before and they have been disastrous. I have two potential bugout vehicles that are suitable to make the trek and enough fuel to make it 2000 miles away from home.

Many will accuse me of playing with fire, living the city life while planning for a rural relocation and I will agree with you. This has been my choice and my dilemma for a couple of years now. I have planned and practiced like many of you. Will my plans stand up to to the test, don't know? However, I have not let my location every stop me from prepping for a single second and neither should you.

Regards,

Bravo

Re: Confessions of an Urban Prepper
 

Gotta do what you can with what you got... like you said, no sense in just sitting around because you happen to live in a city.

BTW... what does BDW stand for?

Re: Confessions of an Urban Prepper
 

I rarely do welcomes here at GIM, never-the-less..WELCOME.
Your post sounds like you've tried your best to cover your ass.
Good job and good luck.

Re: Confessions of an Urban Prepper
 

Welcome to GIM. Judging by your first post I believe you will fit in nicely.

Warm regards from Northeast Florida,

Dave

Re: Confessions of an Urban Prepper
 

Re: Confessions of an Urban Prepper
 

Dear bravodeltawhiskey,

We have logged your ISP and you can expect at least a small horde of GIMers to show up at your door during the next False Flasg event. Please shop some more so you can feed us.














Of course, you know I am joking, but at least you should know that...... Hey! Welcome to the board!

:emotions16:

Re: Confessions of an Urban Prepper
 

I'm proud of you, actually. Many of us live in urban settings for all kinds of different reasons. In our case, we're older, have health problems, and don't want to leave prematurely the medical resources that are only available in metropolitan communities. And, until recently, I was tied to downtown Chicago by a good-paying job that would not have been available rurally. So, here we are, stuck in suburbia, gardening in our tiny backyard and taking estimates for a new steel roof that will allow us to collect rain water without worrying about asphalt shingle runoff in our drinking water. It isn't easy; but we do the best we can do with what we have.

Re: Confessions of an Urban Prepper
 

Re: Confessions of an Urban Prepper
 

I think I'd go more with... "Hey BDW, I have an open room in my bug out place" or something along that line. :-)

Then whoever offers would have a small GIM horde coming to visit.

Re: Confessions of an Urban Prepper
 

To me Having GIMers come during a SHTF situation wouldnt be all bad as long as they brought skills, resources and work ethic with them.

I think if things get bad the population will have to reform into small villages to share work loads and skills

Theoreticly it would be a return to pre-fossil fuels era IE horse n buggie days and probably the best BO spot would be a Farm right next to a large ammish community

Re: Confessions of an Urban Prepper
 

Thanks for the warm welcome!! It is nice to share such strong convictions with a group of people.

To throw some answers out there: For me, at this point in time and having a 2 year old, being close to very high quality education (yes 2 year olds go to school these days) and world class medical institutions nearby if necessary are very high on the list.

I have seriously looked into a hard core bug-out location, but the more I looked the more it became a full time residence, not just a bug-out location. Also, I know, or can imagine the difficulty of making a 1000 mile trek is a real bad SHTF scenario. I wasn't willing to fight my way to bug-out location to then have to potentially fight to take possession of my own property!!! I thought about the caretaker method, it didn't work with a vacation home I had, so I don't want to repeat that experience.

I have accelerated my own timetable to leave the city but it is still approximately 1 year from fruition, a virtual eternity these days!!.

Anyway, I thank everybody for all the encouragement and hope that I motivated even one "cityfolk" to keep prepping!!

BDW

Re: Confessions of an Urban Prepper
 

Your 2 year old might but I'll be the first to say that's not healthy at all