Preparedness Requires Consistency Above All Else

When you first find yourself heading down that “prepper” rabbit hole, you realize a few things very quickly. The wisest of preppers realize immediately that it is actually less about what you have, and more about what you can do. Skillset development is at the heart of every serious prepper I know. Well, the ones I expect to actually survive at least.

The second thing you realize is that all stored and stockpiled items will have a life expectancy, which can depend on conditions, usage, ability to maintain & repair, and that learning all of these details will be a necessary part of your process. And this is typically about when you realize that none of the above is possible without a systematized set of habits and routines, that require ongoing consistency above all else.

Consistent training keeps the blade sharp, and preparedness training applies to all aspects of your being that are crucial for your survival in an endless list of potential doomsday scenarios.

Physical fitness is a component overlooked by many preppers, who think that guns and ammunition will solve all problems. But evacuation is a common survival mechanism and has been successfully employed since the dawn of humanity. And being physically fit and agile enough to hop fences easily and lift a heavy object off your child’s leg is only possible with a consistent workout routine, ideally blending stretching, endurance training, weight training, and balance training.

Marksmanship is another skillset that requires consistent training in order to stay sharp. Those who are not regularly handling firearms, repairing firearms, and training with instructors/courses to up their game are missing a prime opportunity to sharpen a skillset that will serve you in many ways.

Some form of hand-to-hand combat training should also be embraced consistently. To think you will not encounter violence that must be managed without a weapon is naive. And violence is like many other things, if your brain hasn’t experienced it in any form in quite some time, you are not going to react well when it presents itself. Get comfortable with controlled violence, this way you will at least stand a chance amidst the chaos of violence unleashed.

Preppers who carve out consistent time for all of the above, as well as dozens of other types of training, are going to be well ahead of the game. But even beyond physical fitness and skillset development, the most basic components of preparedness also require consistency.

Food, water, medications… these things are all finite resources and are all subject to spoiling, degradation, contamination, and destruction. Only with consistency are we able to supervise the stockpiles that we do have, using rotation systems for maintenance of the inventory. Canning, dehydrating, pickling… none of these are one-and-done processes.

The point is, without developing consistent systems to maintain all of the different elements of preparedness, one can only expect to be unprepared, thus defeating the purpose. And that is why, IMHO, preparedness requires consistency above all else.

-Dr. C. Thomas Brophy

(aka Dr Prepper)