Ok, so I am not thread jacking http://www.sufficientself.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=4867&p=4 this thread anymore let me open a new topic 
here's my post from that thread.
my preps include a house built out of 8" cement block and furred with wood inside and out, insulated etc. Nothing short of a .50 will punch the block. Windows are another thing hide
I have close to 3/4 mile view around 270 degrees from my 2nd story windows. If TSHTF my house would easily accommodate my friends and relatives who live around me. An armed watch and patrol would run 24/7/365 with com's. (of course an emp would change some of it...) some of the neighbors have a solar bank, some have heavy duty farm equipment, some have the arms and training, some are teachers and mentors. The 7 immediate families on our road plus our extended families could survive.
But...................................
We would have to isolate and block anyone not from our area from coming through the road or that pesky 75 degree angle I can't cover because it's swampland.... The swampland is where the roving patrols would spend 90 percent of their time. 3 men to act as observation/sniper duty from the 2nd story behind cover, at least 5 on roving patrol...... oh yeah, and we are doing this 24/7 so that means we need at least 24 folks handy with a rifle? Where we live, everyone out here knows how to shoot, the trick is to know how to observe, track and guard.
Guard duty is harder than physical combat. You get tired, you need to relieve yourself you get bored etc. that momentary lapse in concentration and observation can cost everyone their lives. It takes one wacko to toss a grenade or to set a claymore in a well traveled area to take out most of your defenses.
On guns and ammo..... I shoot....... a lot. Whenever I'm in wal-mart, k-mart or whatever regular ole get anything there store I pick up ammo. I shoot more than I should, and less than I need to if that makes any sense?! My actual self defense loads are ballistic-ally similar to my target loads (carbines and pistols) so no worries. My long rifle and Sir Speedy I shoot the real deal, as those would be my main stays if TSHTF.
Food....... I was storing and saving food in 2008. Wife thought I was crazy. Christmas of that year company laid me off till business picked up. They are closing down at the end of this month. I've had almost no income (at least on paper) since jan 1 2009. Been living off my savings. If I had to run out once a week (or more) for food things would be tight. As it is, I had canned tons of food, bought canned goods, filled the freezers in the house, and had enough seeds saved to replenish what I had canned. The cupboards are getting bare, but the growing season is upon me once again!!!!
Water - Living in michigan I am never more than 1/2 a mile from any water source, so instead of storing water, I stock up on water purification tabs and bleach. Either will work if I don't feel like boiling all the time.\
TP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - If you don't have it, stock up or find a reusable source (think cloth diapers etc) and a way to wash them. Where I live snow covers the land for a long time. I cant just grab a leaf every time I go outside to the privy.
Communications.... provided an EMP didn't fry everything.. Solar recharged secure coms aren't that hard to find. Same with night vision goggles, and any number of non verbal communications that the sniper/observation teams could read and convey.
For medicinal purposes such as suturing wounds... I have more than a first aid kit smile I have a small field surgury kit, and although I don't know how to use all of it, nor do everything I would in an emergency, I am learning a little bit at a time. The old vet at the end of our road would probably do good enough to round off what the community needs better than me anyways!
Medicine ------- Ok, this is tricky. I have heart issues. I am on blood thinners to the extreme. so of course I can stock up on this stuff, but it's only good for so long. This has led me to read up on natural remedies. Instead of my morning pot of coffee, I'd have my morning pot of willowbark tea sickbyc PS, in my readings I've also found that there are natural alternatives to insulin......... Doesn't work for everybody but just saying... Better than going without no?
Training and Skills - I have some, my neighbors have some, and others have some. Everyone in our little mini-community would have a role, and in a SHTF scenario we would all be cross training each other to do at least 3-4 jobs. Everyone who wasn't up on patrol would be watching the kids, educating and teaching the kids, doing the domestic chores, watching after our elders (who by the way have a treasure trove of knowledge we'd be dummies to loose) and learning from them.
I know there is a lot more to it than that, but although on the other boards nifty owns folks think of me as the crazy gun guy, I am just the crazy prepared guy. It has worked with me so far...... and thats with a household of 11
Now as far as long term food storage if you plan on staying in your area, or for stocking up your bug out location I found a pretty good site that shows long term food storage and techniques for rotating food in and out. For .70$ a day everybody can put up food for hard times. http://www.survivalreportblog.com/Food_storage.html
How are you prepared in the broadest sense?
here's my post from that thread.my preps include a house built out of 8" cement block and furred with wood inside and out, insulated etc. Nothing short of a .50 will punch the block. Windows are another thing hide
I have close to 3/4 mile view around 270 degrees from my 2nd story windows. If TSHTF my house would easily accommodate my friends and relatives who live around me. An armed watch and patrol would run 24/7/365 with com's. (of course an emp would change some of it...) some of the neighbors have a solar bank, some have heavy duty farm equipment, some have the arms and training, some are teachers and mentors. The 7 immediate families on our road plus our extended families could survive.
But...................................
We would have to isolate and block anyone not from our area from coming through the road or that pesky 75 degree angle I can't cover because it's swampland.... The swampland is where the roving patrols would spend 90 percent of their time. 3 men to act as observation/sniper duty from the 2nd story behind cover, at least 5 on roving patrol...... oh yeah, and we are doing this 24/7 so that means we need at least 24 folks handy with a rifle? Where we live, everyone out here knows how to shoot, the trick is to know how to observe, track and guard.
Guard duty is harder than physical combat. You get tired, you need to relieve yourself you get bored etc. that momentary lapse in concentration and observation can cost everyone their lives. It takes one wacko to toss a grenade or to set a claymore in a well traveled area to take out most of your defenses.
On guns and ammo..... I shoot....... a lot. Whenever I'm in wal-mart, k-mart or whatever regular ole get anything there store I pick up ammo. I shoot more than I should, and less than I need to if that makes any sense?! My actual self defense loads are ballistic-ally similar to my target loads (carbines and pistols) so no worries. My long rifle and Sir Speedy I shoot the real deal, as those would be my main stays if TSHTF.
Food....... I was storing and saving food in 2008. Wife thought I was crazy. Christmas of that year company laid me off till business picked up. They are closing down at the end of this month. I've had almost no income (at least on paper) since jan 1 2009. Been living off my savings. If I had to run out once a week (or more) for food things would be tight. As it is, I had canned tons of food, bought canned goods, filled the freezers in the house, and had enough seeds saved to replenish what I had canned. The cupboards are getting bare, but the growing season is upon me once again!!!!
Water - Living in michigan I am never more than 1/2 a mile from any water source, so instead of storing water, I stock up on water purification tabs and bleach. Either will work if I don't feel like boiling all the time.\
TP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - If you don't have it, stock up or find a reusable source (think cloth diapers etc) and a way to wash them. Where I live snow covers the land for a long time. I cant just grab a leaf every time I go outside to the privy.
Communications.... provided an EMP didn't fry everything.. Solar recharged secure coms aren't that hard to find. Same with night vision goggles, and any number of non verbal communications that the sniper/observation teams could read and convey.
For medicinal purposes such as suturing wounds... I have more than a first aid kit smile I have a small field surgury kit, and although I don't know how to use all of it, nor do everything I would in an emergency, I am learning a little bit at a time. The old vet at the end of our road would probably do good enough to round off what the community needs better than me anyways!
Medicine ------- Ok, this is tricky. I have heart issues. I am on blood thinners to the extreme. so of course I can stock up on this stuff, but it's only good for so long. This has led me to read up on natural remedies. Instead of my morning pot of coffee, I'd have my morning pot of willowbark tea sickbyc PS, in my readings I've also found that there are natural alternatives to insulin......... Doesn't work for everybody but just saying... Better than going without no?
Training and Skills - I have some, my neighbors have some, and others have some. Everyone in our little mini-community would have a role, and in a SHTF scenario we would all be cross training each other to do at least 3-4 jobs. Everyone who wasn't up on patrol would be watching the kids, educating and teaching the kids, doing the domestic chores, watching after our elders (who by the way have a treasure trove of knowledge we'd be dummies to loose) and learning from them.
I know there is a lot more to it than that, but although on the other boards nifty owns folks think of me as the crazy gun guy, I am just the crazy prepared guy. It has worked with me so far...... and thats with a household of 11
Now as far as long term food storage if you plan on staying in your area, or for stocking up your bug out location I found a pretty good site that shows long term food storage and techniques for rotating food in and out. For .70$ a day everybody can put up food for hard times. http://www.survivalreportblog.com/Food_storage.html
How are you prepared in the broadest sense?
Because I had enough of one to provide for us, but I could have easily put away much much more. I am down to my last 9 or 10 jars I think 
