Prepping: Concept of Operations

Now that we’ve discussed some general principles of prepping, it’s time to move on to practical application. When considering how you can best prepare for not only specific threats but a wide variety of unpredictable disasters, there’s a general concept of operations that can be applied universally to anyone’s particular situation. It involves staging your gear and resources and having a predetermined plan of movement for when shit hits the fan. Let’s call it, “leveling-up.”

Though everyone’s situation is unique, virtually none of us will be able to carry all of our gear with us at all times. Furthermore, some of us may have plans of “bugging-out” while others plan to “hunker-down.” But no matter what your strategy is, you must realize that it will involve moving from point-A to point-B and doing so in a tactical manner; and by “tactical,” I mean moving in a deliberate and cautious manner, not necessarily in a combat fashion. Because even if you have the most well-stocked and secure hideout, your plan of action needs to consider the very real possibility that when disaster strikes, you won’t be there.

Most of us have jobs and duties that temporarily take us away from our shelter, our families, and most of our resources. Our leveling-up strategy should begin at our most vulnerable state when we have nothing but what we carry on our person – our EDC (every day carry). Your EDC will be specific to your needs but whatever you carry, it must be enough to get you to your next level of staged gear. For instance, if you’re at work and an active shooter situation presents, your EDC should be sufficient to address the immediate threat and allow you to reach your vehicle where more resources can be retrieved.

Some examples of EDC that most of us might have on us:

• Tactical shoes/boots

• Belt

• Phone

• Cash

• Small trauma kit (tourniquet, gauze, ace wrap, NPA, & mylar blanket)

• Firearm

• Flashlight

• Folding knife

• Kubotan keychain

Those are just a few low-profile items that can be carried on your person throughout the day no matter where you are (unless you enter a restricted area that searches for weapons – in those cases, having a comprehensive knowledge of the facility is your best preparation). If you’re able to carry a backpack or shoulder-bag with you while you’re out-and-about, all the better, as you can stock the bag with far more supplies than you could ever discreetly carry otherwise.

Now to the next stage, which for most of us will be our vehicle. It will be tempting at first to load your car or truck with every piece of cool-guy gear you can find, but our transportation still needs to fulfill its daily functions, i.e., driving your kids to school, store groceries, pick-up a date, etc. If it’s filled to the brim with survival gear, med kits, and guns, then it can’t serve any other purpose, not to mention that if the vehicle is broken-into or stolen or gets into a wreck, you will lose all of it. That being said, you can store a significant amount of valuable gear in your car without taking up too much space and remaining discreet.

Gear that might be considered for your vehicle:

• Full medical kit (Only carry items you know how to use.)

• Firearm with additional magazines

• Body armor

• Handcuffs/flexi-cuffs

• FUBAR bag (discussed later)

• Hi-vis vest

• Mini-shovel

• Tow straps

• Jump cables

• Quarters (for tolls and parking)

• Local hard-map

• Gas can (There are some potential dangers in carrying fuel inside your vehicle, so I would advise you to carry an empty gas can that can be filled when necessary.)

Remember, your vehicle is used to get you to your next point of leveling-up, so keep at least a half-tank of fuel in it and ensure your spare tire equipment is good-to-go. I would also recommend equipping your vehicle with dash cams and tinted windows.

I mentioned the FUBAR (fucked-up beyond all recognition) bag in the vehicle gear list. This is the bag you prepare that can help accommodate you in a wide range of unforeseen scenarios. You might find yourself in a position where you may need to abandon your vehicle and move on foot. So this bag should have reliable straps and be comfortable to carry for distance, but also, I would recommend that this bag be civilian in fashion and not military, as you may stand out too much by carrying a military-style bag. However, if you should have to take to the wild, selecting an earth-tone color would be prudent.

Some items you might carry in the FUBAR bag:

• Spare change of clothes

• Baseball cap

• Sunglasses

• Portable phone charger

• Cash

• High carb/protein food item

• Passport

• Trauma kit

• 550 cord

• Lightweight tarp

• Multi-tool

• Fixed-blade knife

• Local hard-map

• Water filter/sanitation device

• Water bottle

• Gas mask

• Leave some space in this bag for other items you may need to throw in there at a moment’s notice.

All of this gear listed so far are only basics as it pertains to the individual. If you’re a family man, your problems are compounded because you need to consider the needs of your wife and children. What supplies do they need? Are they strong enough to carry it themselves or will you have to carry it for them? Do you have to carry the children themselves? Does your plan need to incorporate moving about town to pick them up from school, work, or daycare? Ensure that you plan accordingly.

Lastly, we have your final destination of leveling-up. This may be a bug-out location deep in the boondocks, a lake cabin, a family farm, or just your own home or apartment. What you store here will be largely dependent on your specific needs. It’s recommended that you have, at a minimum, two weeks of food and water, additional fuel, slow-burning candles, hand crank radio, solar charging equipment, medical & health supplies, and a reserve of cash. Additionally, you should take the time to conduct a thorough physical security assessment of your final destination and deploy the appropriate control measures to keep it secure.

Some general physical security tips:

• Deploy preventative measures around the perimeter. Lights, signage indicating an alarm system (whether it exists or not), a dog, gates, and fences will all mitigate the chances of your home being selected for attack.

• Harden the exterior. Ensure you have solid exterior doors with high-quality locks. Utilize door-stoppers; they’re cheap and can even be made DYI. Don’t ignore the windows. Planting shrubbery or rose bushes underneath the windows can make it difficult for intruders to break-in through the glass.

• Install a CCTV (closed-circuit television) system. A good CCTV system is not that expensive anymore and can allow you to monitor what’s going on around the perimeter without having to expose yourself by looking out a window or exiting the interior.

• If you’re not on the first floor, purchase or construct a rope ladder that can be used to escape out the window or patio if your home is invaded.

• Have a secure and hidden space to store valuables. If you have to abandon your home, hopefully you can return at some point to collect these items.

• Train, train, train. You should know every square inch of your property and should routinely train room-clearing and escape routes. You should also have a plan on how to handle unknown visitors that may not have hostile intent – will you open your doors to them? If so, do you search them? How do you conduct a search? Have a plan and train.

• Form a support network with your neighbors. If you’re going to hunker-down amongst others and not in the remote depths of the wilderness, you’ll want to know who your neighbors are and if they can be trusted. If they can be trusted and have a similar prepper-mindset, together you can mutually enjoy an increase in the safety and security of your local environment.

Planning for, organizing, and remaining in a prepared state is no easy task. There is a lot to take into consideration and being prepared is a lifestyle, not a hobby. It’s for these reasons that most people remain sheep and not warriors. It takes a man with a darker perspective to see the necessity for prepping and that man must also be dedicated and vigilant in order to accomplish the task. Staying on-point can be difficult at times, but it is helpful to remember why we prep. It isn’t just about survival; it’s about protecting the things that make surviving hardships worth preparing for.

Nil Desperandum.