Network to the Top

Kevin O’Brien is back from season one with a vengeance – and a tent. Having moved from the tsunami zone of Florida, he has successfully transplanted his family to the highlands of Tennessee.

Instead of being an outcast for his prepping, Kevin is now welcomed by a group of preppers including Lucas Cameron and his Seven Trumpet preppers. He is able to facilitate this through a website he set up for networking.

Networking has been described as one of the most important skills to have for a reason. Instead of having to develop an entire skillset with himself and his family, Kevin has effectively gained the skillsets of everyone in the seven trumpets group. Beyond this, he is now part of a more imposing group that can defend itself much more adequately against the threat of gangs.

Have you looked into the local prepper groups in your area? Most of the states have representation through sites like the American Preppers Network. You should check to see whether there are any groups that match your personality and skill set.

“Kevin doesn’t eat rice”

Another offhand comment about rice came up in this episode. Despite focusing his stockpile on rice, Kevin himself does not enjoy rice or even eat it. This presents a number of problems.

First, without the desire to eat rice, Kevin will not be able to rotate his stores. While rice has a very long shelf life under proper conditions,

Learning to enjoy the food you intend to survive on is an important factor to psychological health. Food is a source of comfort and stability in our lives and taking the enjoyment out of that makes an already stressful situation.

Another benefit to rotating your stores is learning different recipes with the limited food you have. Including spices into your preparation can give a boost of antioxidants and other nutrients, as well as keep things interesting. It’ll be a lot harder to pick up curry powder once the poles shift.

In the hurt locker

Kevin describes his financial situation as being in the hurt locker.

The whole practice of prepping is essentially about taking things into consideration. Making a big financial move that prevents following through with a plan fully is essentially a lack of consideration. In order to follow through with a plan completely, financial ‘preparation’ is just as important as physical preparation.

What Kevin is left with is a situation where he might not be much better off. Who can really say whether it’s better to have a secure and organized house in Florida or a small rental and a bug out location made out of canvas?