How much is too much?

For most of us we will never have too much of anything. We simply can’t afford it and we do not have enough space to store what we would like.

It’s unfortunate but we have to prioritise. We end up balancing our requirement with food, water, medical supplies, clothing and everything else we think we need or are actually using in day to day living.

Each of us prioritises differently as well. Partly it depends on where we live, whether we are intending to bug in or bug out, how many of us are there, not forgetting, how much we have to spend on our preperations.

Personally, with me bugging in, intending to ride out at least a year I have put aside a lot of water, but it is heavy, so I have put aside about 9 months worth and enough filtration gear to provide for 15 months as well. I’m still adding to the water but the house is starting to creak. Food is much easier, basically tins, cartons and pails. I’ve probably for 15 months of that but every now and again I’ll add something too it if the item and price are right.

Medical supplies. I must confess I’m lost there. I have lots of supplies but as I don’t know what I will face I may have the wrong items. This means I keep adding when the item and the price are right but I’ll never have too much. Little of it is perishable,

Communications is easy for me. I have a list of what I want and it is just a case of purchasing when I can. Pity it is the expensive stuff but at the same time there isn’t that much. I also bought a massive Sealey steel container, like on the garage forecourts to store all my electronics in. All except for my EDC goes in there.

Clothing is another thing where I have plenty. I buy more than I need and store it. I also only throw things away that are no use. So I have a good pile of good quality clothes for the whole family, even down to baby clothes. Same with bedding, sleeping bags and the like. I don’t know if I will ever stop adding as I don’t know what I will be facing.

Myself, I’ve also got my lab equipment, electronic gear, reloading equipment and such like. I can’t see me adding much to those. I’ll be spending more time concentrating on my arrows and bolts, air rifle pellets and traps.

I’m quite advanced in my preps. I’ve been doing it long enough and yet I can never see myself stopping putting things away, I still look for cheap deals, things to eat, things to barter and I’m still buying books, either books to help me after an event, educational books or simply books to read.

I could do with a bigger house to be honest but it would mean moving. I’ll be staying as I am. Imagine moving all that stuff to another house under the scrutiny of even mildly interested neighbours. OPSEC would be well blown.

In the meantime you can never have too much.