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Guest Post: Threat Matrix

Tuesday, December 4, 2012 12:00

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(Before It's News)

by Jeff M.

As preppers, we all love a good list. There are lists for food storage, lists for BOV prep and lists for weapon and ammunition. We have lists upon lists subdivided into immediate, soon and someday.

I love lists. Lists have taken the immense topic of prepping and allowed me to take on each segment in a less panicked and methodical manner.

I have a prep list for hurricanes, tornadoes, bug in and bug out; plus the usual ancillary lists for food, tools, gardening… well you get the picture.

The thing I don’t appreciate about lists is that they bring out the “planner” and not the “do-er” in me. I love to compile my new list of ammo I want, the new list of accessories I want to turn my latest weapon into a reborn tacti-cool piece of kit that will end all of my worries that I don’t have the right item hanging from the rails. While I love to do all of this prep-dreaming, it doesn’t get me closer to what I really want; progress on my preps.

So this hurricane season I decided to do something different. I still keep my dream lists and rework them from time to time (or weekly, depending on the news), but I divided the scenarios into threat categories.

Example Threat Matrix:

Imminent	Possible Short term (1 – 7 days)	Possible Long term (8-30 days +)	On Hand vs. Needed	Need to Acquire (1- now, 2- this month, 3-soon as possible, 4- long term)
Hurricane	Power Outage	Power Outage	More Batteries, Candles and Matches, 2 gallons Water p/Person	Extra propane tanks (4)
Tornado	Flooding	Flooding	Need New Weather Radio
		Work Stoppage	$500 Cash reserve	$1500 per month (3)

Now this is an example only and each of us needs to sit down and actually think our own situations through. How much money can you afford to put aside and what can you do without to get to that goal?

This can be very hard for preppers with kids or living on a fixed income and those of us with medical conditions and or already under-employed understand these financial issues. We must be brutally honest with ourselves and determine what is an acceptable level of prepping regardless of what those with deeper pockets may be posting on the boards.

I see a new weapon and I want it, even if it’s not a caliber I like. Can I afford it? Not if I want my kid to have a Christmas.

Keep in mind, kids do not prep easily. They are stuck with wanting the coolest sneakers, jeans or video games. They have more peer pressure than you can imagine. Parents that prep have the unenviable task of balancing the needs of today with the worries for their tomorrows. We all want college for our kids but can we afford to put money aside for that if we get the new all-band radio and 10 meter antenna?

So where do we strike the balance? Again, you must decide as I have after looking at what I have done and what I believe we need as a family.

I have redirected funds from weapons to food, from ammo to water filtration. When the last hurricane appeared to be headed for my local area, I took my last savings for a generator and portable AC because the hurricane is my immediate threat not roving herds of zombies.

Now I have to rebuild that nest egg again while I pick up some of the less expensive gear I want to add to my preps, all while providing a birthday party for my daughter in two weeks. Glad she likes pizza and putt-putt golf.

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From Rourke……

The above post was an entry for the current ModernSurvivalOnline Guest Post Writing Contest.

Grand Prize includes:

Dr Bones and Nurse Amy: Medium Trauma Bag (value $219 plus $15 shipping) and a Doom and Bloom(tm) Survival Medicine Handbook (value $35 plus $3 shipping) for a total of $272.00!!

plus………….

Grizzly Fire Starters: Grizzly Survival Fire and Stove ($37.95), along with a Grizzly Mini Survival Heater ($27.95) and to round this package out a 100 pack of fire starters ($119.00). Grand total is $184.90!!

and also………..

Ready Made Resources: Case of Mountain House Freeze Dried Food. Value approx $124.00!!

and concluding the Grand Prize package……

Prepper Press -Prepper Press is providing ANY 5 books that they publish. Your choice!!

2nd PLACE -

Deadwood Stove Company is awarding the 2nd Place Winner with a…yup, you guessed it….A Deadwood Stove!!!!

Emergency Essentials: New! Mountain House Just In Case……. Classic Assortment Bucket ($70 value)

3rd PLACE -

Directive21.com - Mountain House Freeze Dried Food Bucket ($80 value)

SurvivalGearBags.com - CardSharp knife and a FrogLube Kit (FrogLube Kit – 4 oz Paste, 4 oz Liquid, Microfiber Cloth, Application Brush)

4th PLACE - Author Max Velocity is providing a copy of each of his books:

Contact!: A Tactical Manual for Post Collapse Survival