2nd Best Survival Firearm

My budget first choice was the Ruger 10/22. I know that might have most folks shaking their heads and calling me an idiot.  But remember, that was the first choice on a very limited budget.  Of course, you could always argue about what a 'budget' is.  If you can save $30 a month for 'preps', then it's only a couple of months further down the road to get to my next choice.  So each person has to evaluate their situation to determine what is best.

Another $100, (we're up to $400 for gun and ammo) will get you into a 12 gauge shotgun.  You can actually get a Remington 870 pump for under $300, so you're really not much out of my super budget realm and the 10/22.  But the 12 gauge shotgun will buy you alot more versatility.  The biggest boost is in defensive firepower.  The 12 gauge, with buck or slugs, is a great home defense weapon.  You can definitely take down a man with one, as opposed to 'having a chance' with the 10/22.  Plus with the shotgun, you can hunt everything from dove and rabbits to deer.

Ease of use is also a big plus for the shotgun.  Hitting your target, at normal home defense ranges (max probably 10 yards), is much easier with a shotgun and buck shot than with a pistol or rifle, for the average untrained home defender.  And as everyone knows, the sound of a pump action chambering a shell is definitive, and the aggressor will have no questions about what he is facing.

I would recommend a normal hunting style shotgun, over the 'home defense' versions with a pistol grip, IF you plan on using your shotgun primarily for hunting with a secondary role for defense.  It is easier to swing on a flying target with a normal stock than a pistol grip because of the position of your hand.  If you shotgun is primarily for defense then the pistol grip might be advantageous.

A handy accessory for the home defense shotgun is the Side Saddle.  This holds 5 extra rounds on the gun itself.  A normal shotgun will hold 5 rounds (one in the chamber, with the plug removed: most states limit the number of rounds in the gun for different kinds of hunting, usually 3 [2+1]).  The side saddle gives you 5 more rounds at the ready.  In a home defense scenario, if you go through 10 rounds of 00 buckshot, and need more, you're having a very bad day.

So if you select the shotgun as your primary survival weapon, don't forget to stock up on the appropriate shot sizes for the type of game you might be hunting.  Buckshot won;t do you much good against dove.  Heck, I've hit a dove a little too close with #9 (caught him in the full pattern) and there was nothing left but a pile of feathers.

Priorities

As you read and research survival, preparedness, the coming Zombie Apocalypse, it's easy to be overwhelmed and wonder where to start.  Most blogs seem to point towards thousand dollar arsenals and literally tons of food and water.  I will always grant that if you prepare for the worst you are ready for about anything along the spectrum.

But where to start?  If I have $1000 and spend it on a gun and some ammo, sure I'm better prepared than I was, but when that hurricane hits and the power is out for a week, that gun may not do much for you.  And then you lose your job and end up selling that gun for $500 because everyone else is losing their jobs.  Not good.

Here's my priorities for being prepared, where to spend your money:

1. Get out of debt.  See Dave Ramsey.
2. Save an emergency fund. See Dave Ramsey again.
3. Start investing/saving for the future (retirement/college funds)

I think these are the most important priorities for anyone.  Getting out of debt frees up your capital/cash flow for everything else you want to do.  It also is the best prep, because if the SHTF and you lose your job, the economy completely tanks, inflation soars, etc, you can spend what money you do have/can earn on necessities vice paying off your credit card.

Now, some balance is required here, because if you put off all your preps until you have 1 thru 3 well in hand, that could be a couple of years down the road, which is a couple of years that disaster could strike.  I'm just saying financial preparedness should be you're number #1 priority, but you can and should advance your preps as you can, with what you think is a reasonable deduction from your debt fighting funds (that part deviates from Ramsey).  Even $20 a month can get you down the road of preparedness.  Plus, austerity can drive innovation. Thrift markets, flea markets, dollar stores, garage sales, your own basement/garage can be great sources for probably 90% of your basic preps.  It doesn't take a fortune to be prepared, only a plan and the initiative to accomplish that plan.

Once you get to step 3, you can start budgeting more for your preparedness needs. I'm only listing things that you need to budget for/specifically buy.  Go Bag items like duct tape, trash bags, etc you either have laying around or can be easily purchased.

1. Everyday Carry

1. Multi-tool/pocket folding knife
2. Flashlight

2. Basic Gear (72 hour/go bag)

1. Day pack/small back pack
2. Multi-tool (a full sized one if you EDC a smaller one)
3. First aid kit
4. Para cord
5. Backpacking water filter
6. Backpack stove and fuel
7. Fixed blade knife

3. Long term items

1. 2 cases of bottled water
2. 2 cases of your favorite canned foods (ie, 1 soup, 1 vegetables)

With the above (assuming a complete 72 hour bag with change of clothes, toiletry items, etc) you can weather a post-hurricane power outage, a quick evac from the advancing wild fire, and, with 3 months living expenses saved in your emergency fund, 3 months of job hunting.

Now you can focus on larger items such as firearms/ammo and larger amounts of shelf stable foods like MREs or freeze dried.  The web is the most amazing resource we are privileged to have available to us.  Use it to figure out what you need to be prepared for the events you think are most likely to come your way.  Just take it one step at a time and get your financial house in order first and foremost.

Choose Your Armageddon

In the last week the US of A has experienced a wide range of natural catastrophes.  From wildfires in Colorado, to a 'land hurricane' and subsequent power outage in the mid-Atlantic, to rain and flooding in the SE from Tropical Storm Debbie. I guarantee that most of the folks affected by these events were not prepared.  But what does 'prepared' mean in these scenarios?

First, I don't think any of them were case studies of the need for a Go Bag, at least in the 'grab and go' sense.  Call it a 72 hour bag and you're right on target.  Take the wildfires for instance.  Those can change direction in a heartbeat, or flare up, or jump fire lines.  You could easily get the word to 'Get out now!'.  'Now' would not then be the time to pack, to look for critical documents, or to figure out a plan.  If you had a 72 hour bag and Critical Document Binder*, you'd be set.  I say a 72 hour bag, because I think this is the more likely scenario for most people.  In this case you are Getting Out of Dodge, but plan to return.  So the 72 hour kit isn't for 72 hours in the woods, but 72 hours in the hotel.  The basics are the same for each (change of clothing, basic toiletries, food and water).  While some outdoor survival items may not be needed in this case (fire starters, knives and axes, shelter material, etc), you never know, right?  What I'm saying is a well planned Go Bag should cover you in the 72 hour bag Bug Out and Return scenario as well.

The Critical Document Binder is a grab and go addendum to the 72 hour bag.  This one binder will have all your critical documents, contact info, and proof of identity/residence items for your return, or for disaster management, as the case dictates.  Just think if you bugged out and your house burned down.  Insurance phone numbers, policy numbers?  Banking and investment info?  All that data of 21st century living we take for granted: if you didn't have them at your fingertips, it could be a challenge to get back on your feet. If not a challenge, at least a frustrating few days as you piece it all back together.

The power outage is probably a Bug In situation for most folks.  Test your plans in the scenario of a power outage for 7-plus days in 100 degree heat.  Food spoilage rate is probably pretty high.  Water requirements are higher than 'normal' or average.  How susceptible to the heat are you?  I know I have gotten pretty used to the AC over the years.

Rain and flooding can be either a slow onset event (like it was here in NE Florida) or fast if you are in an area prone to flash flooding.  Like a wildfire, you might have to bug out rather quickly, so planning and preparation will be tested.

So while the Zombie Apocalypse is a low probability event in my calculus, the recent natural 'disasters' are my Most Likely events: that is what I am preparing for first (given my budget and other factors).  It makes more sense for me to spend my money and time on Bug In and Bug Out/Return events than arming to the teeth to defend the homestead.  Doesn't mean I'm not, it's just a way to prioritize on a limited budget.  Be realistic, and be prepared.

*I've edited this post by removing the link to emergencybinder.org.  This site had a free download of 4 Word documents that provided an extensive template for the information to put in a critical documents binder.  It went so far as passwords for online accounts, security info, etc.  Wow.  I don't think of myself as the paranoid type, but I'm not about to type that kind of info into a word document I've downloaded off the net.  Plus I wouldn't want that floating around in a hardcopy binder either.  My idea for a critical document binder is the stuff you already have in hardcopy (marriage license, SS cards, etc).  You still have to guard it closely.  Critical digital information can be stored on a password protected/encrypted USB drive.  For that matter, most hardcopy documents you can scan to PDF and put on the thumb drive.  Much more secure.