# New To Prepping



## William Gadway (Jul 6, 2014)

hi everyone im new to prepping and the forum. i was wondering what people suggest i do. i live in a city in an small appt with a small yard and a very strict landlord who wont let us do anything to the yard ( like gardens ect). what are peoples suggestions that i do to start prepping but not piss off the landlord? i wanna garden ive tryed to start a small one inside but its not working out. also where should i start with prepping? i feel overwhelmed and afraid if the SHTF before i am rdy that me and my family wont make it. i live in upstate new york and the gun laws here are horrible, and im not sure if they would allow me to have one cus i have a bit of depression. what are peoples opinions on that and what type of background check do they do before u buy a firearm? thanks and sry for the questions just wanna learn more lol.


will


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## pheniox17 (Dec 12, 2013)

first welcome from Queensland Australia

have a look through the forum there are lots of threads that can interest you...

but in the words of famous members MOVE just not to Montana


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## William Gadway (Jul 6, 2014)

lol thanks


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## bernzzii (Jan 21, 2014)

Welcome from Minnesota!


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## Inor (Mar 22, 2013)

Another hello from Minnesota.

Move to Texas.


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## dutch16 (Mar 13, 2014)

William, welcome from Pennsylvania! 
Like Pheniox and Inor said, is it possible for you to re-locate? There are a lot of little things you can do to prep even if you don't have space. If memory serves, there are some threads about prepping on just a few dollars a week. Check the threads, and feel free to ask specific questions.


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## Oddcaliber (Feb 17, 2014)

Welcome from Louisiana, I also live in an apartment with limited space. I've got ammo under my bed,food in the closest,stuff stashed everywhere. Think outside the box.


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## SquirrelBait (Jun 6, 2014)

Greetings from Minnesota!^_^


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

Welcome to the group from Arizona. I didn't live in NY but Illinois has to be close in line with NY. I finally gave up family and friends and moved down here last October. Best decision I ever made. As far a garden, if you've tried gardening, check and see if your town has a community garden. It wouldn't necessarily help your preps except for gaining experience. Everyone starts from scratch as far as building up preps. Water and food are two of the basics. There are plenty of people here that can and will be able to give you good advice. You could start by adding just an extra days groceries to your shopping list and tuck it away. If you prep with foods you normally eat, you can rotate your prep foods into your pantry without having to throw away specialty supplies like MREs.


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## MI.oldguy (Apr 18, 2013)

Welcome from the upper part of Michigan,as others have said,can you re-locate? NY sure is not the perfect place...come west a little,the UP of Mich.is a nice place.


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## Moonshinedave (Mar 28, 2013)

Hello Will, and welcome to the site. My first thought is for you to move if possible. I know, it's a lot easier to tell someone else to move than do it yourself. I would think living in a big city, if something major should occur, could do nothing but put people at a major disadvantage right off the bat. Mind you, I was born and raised country, so I am very biased against cities anyway.
Now, if moving is not an option for you, at this time, I'd store as much food and water as I could in my apt. Could be the difference between you and your family surviving for a few days or something much worse. If you have a vehicle, I'd consider stocking it as much as possible for a dash out of the city if something begins to happen (I would not wait to be the last one out either).
As for personal protection, I'd have something in one form or another. You know yourself better than I, and the laws where you live. What you choose is going to be up to you. I'll leave it at that right now.
Anyways, welcome again, hope to read posts from you soon.
MSdave


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## Kauboy (May 12, 2014)

I'll offer a friendly howdy from Texas as well.

Like you, I too was originally overwhelmed with the thought of events taking place that put my family in peril.
You have to learn to rationalize your fears. Yes, it is a possibility, but you are already thinking about it, and that puts you ahead of most.

The best advice I can give you is, start small.
Gardens are great, but should not be your first focus.
Start off by just buying a little extra each week at the grocery.
Instead of one can of beans, buy 2 or 3. Canned food last a long time and can be stored easily, even in small spaces.
I've seen many clever ideas for storing food out of sight in apartments, in places such as under the bed in a frame, behind a bookshelf with a false back, and other "in plain sight" places.
One story I read showed a couple who managed to store an entire year's worth of canned food in a custom build dividing box frame that their mattress sat on. Looked like any normal bed frame from the outside.
Take baby steps first.
Store enough for 3 weeks.
Then enough for 2 months.
Then enough for 4 or 5.
Water, food, medication, etc...
Cover just the basics first, then branch out later once you feel more comfortable with it.

Don't worry yourself silly over it. That doesn't help at all.
Just know that by simply *starting*, you're ahead of the game already.


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## Guest (Jul 8, 2014)

William Gadway said:


> hi everyone im new to prepping and the forum. i was wondering what people suggest i do. i live in a city in an small appt with a small yard and a very strict landlord who wont let us do anything to the yard ( like gardens ect). what are peoples suggestions that i do to start prepping but not piss off the landlord? i wanna garden ive tryed to start a small one inside but its not working out. also where should i start with prepping? i feel overwhelmed and afraid if the SHTF before i am rdy that me and my family wont make it. i live in upstate new york and the gun laws here are horrible, and im not sure if they would allow me to have one cus i have a bit of depression. what are peoples opinions on that and what type of background check do they do before u buy a firearm? thanks and sry for the questions just wanna learn more lol.
> 
> will


You could try to convince your landlord to allow you to have a garden. include flowers and brighten up the yard. tell him/her it would add to the value of the apartment in the long run. have you actually discussed gardens with the landlord? or was it more like they stated in the lease that it is not allowed?

option 2: get potted plants. you are not altering the yard with them. read your contract and make sure of the wording before doing this. look for loopholes.

option 3: i do not know your skills with plants but it sounds like you probably do not have enough sunlight to grow them indoors. buy a good indoor growing light system. they are not that expensive and will fix your problem. one other issue you will have with indoor herbs and vegetables is fungal growth. spray a anti fungus on the soil and pot before you plant. gnats are also an issue, look for safe ways to get rid of them. natural ways i mean.

Edit: if shtf you can tell your landlord to take a hike ^^ and then use the garden

Edit 2: try to keep the temperature inside at around 75 degrees. if you go to cold a certain species of mold will show up. be careful with over watering.


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## MrsInor (Apr 15, 2013)

Another welcome from Minnesota. A lot of good reference books out there. They LDS book can be had free online. That is a good one to start.


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## Innkeeper (Jun 18, 2014)

Welcome from the Northern Half of Michigan's Mitt, just as nice as our U.P. but we do not speak funny like they do (watch Escanaba in da Moonlight for reference). if you want to try gardening maybe thing of an elevated garden, I have seen a lot of people and articles of people using garden boxes, it lets you grow all kinds of things but does not damage the yard, and you can move it around as need be, and if you ever move you can take them with you.


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## omegabrock (Jun 16, 2014)

welcome from oklahoma. saw the title 'new to prepping' and thought i'd drop a line as im heading out of the door. will post more when i get home

*edit: it seems like the basics have already been covered. good responses already.

as for NY gun laws, im not sure how they work up there. is it just firearms or is it for ammo too? i would think if you are not able to get a firearm you could still start stock piling some ammo. i have a feeling that when SHTF, guns will be more readily available than the ammo


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## microprepper (Nov 21, 2013)

Welcome! I am also living in a small space and in a situation like yours. I have to get offl line until tomorrow but look through my threads, I have some topics on gardening etc and even an indoor chicken coop. Seeya


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## wallyLOZ (May 12, 2013)

Welcome from Missouri. A lot of good info here. I'll just add, set a pace that you're comfortable with and stay at it. It's a marathon, not a 50 yard dash.


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## RNprepper (Apr 5, 2014)

What you can do right now is make sure you have at least 3 weeks worth of food and water storage in your home. You don't have to start with an TEOTWAWKI (The End of the World as We Know It) scenario. It can be a snow storm or power outage. If utilities were cut off for 3 weeks, what would it take for you to survive in your home? Food, water, warmth, light, sanitation, protection. Do you have a manual can opener? A safe, portable cook stove to heat water and soup? Flashlights/headlamps and batteries? Extra food for the pets? Extra medications?

OK, so the next step would be to assemble a BOB (bug out bag) in case you needed to evacuation your apartment. There are LOTS of resources about what to include. 

Another step would be to have a "Get Home Bag" assembled for your car or office. This is what you would need to get home on foot and perhaps even spend a night while doing so. All of my family members have one in their cars (a fanny pack), along with a gallon of water (in a small back pack). They also have walking shoes, a hat, weather appropriate clothing, extra socks.

Then you can work on longer term food storage and possible relocation where you can practice sustainable living and have a weapon. But get some food and water storage going first. If everyone in this country did that, we would be so much better prepared for what ever happens. It buys time if nothing else.


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## William Gadway (Jul 6, 2014)

ive actually been thinking about relocating because of how bad ny is with all the rules and stuff,only thing stopping me atm is the fact i need to save up cash before i move just in case it takes me a bit to find a job somewhere else, ive been thinking out towards texas but anywhere has to be better than nys lol and thanks all for all the welcomes  glade to be here. ill take a look more threw the forums.


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## William Gadway (Jul 6, 2014)

nys firearm laws are horrible, no AR type weapons i belive that even goes for the tactical shotgun types and its a nightmare to get a small rifle even here. as far as ammo im not sure what the restrictions are on that but im sure just as bad. thanks for the welcome btw


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## William Gadway (Jul 6, 2014)

nightshade said:


> You could try to convince your landlord to allow you to have a garden. include flowers and brighten up the yard. tell him/her it would add to the value of the apartment in the long run. have you actually discussed gardens with the landlord? or was it more like they stated in the lease that it is not allowed?
> 
> option 2: get potted plants. you are not altering the yard with them. read your contract and make sure of the wording before doing this. look for loopholes.
> 
> ...


it was just stated in the lease, im gonna go talk with them tomorrow and see what kinda magic i can work up  ty


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## William Gadway (Jul 6, 2014)

i wish i could reply to everyone directly but i dont have time atm i thank everyone again for making me feel welcome and all the info that people have given me this far. i have started a little bit of prepping have a decent 1st aid kit and have some skills to go with it, and im also looking into buying books for dehydrating and canning, as far as defense ive trained myself with alot of special forces fighting styles from around the world and also some booby traps and different evading styles, i know how to garden a little but only basics like beans, pepper and tomatoes ( learned when living with my mom as a young kid), have the knolege to use any firearm (pistol, rifle, ar, shotgun) and how to safely use and store them ect thanks to my grandpa and some out of state friends, im very good with my hand and know how to build a bunker or small shelter if needed, i have tons of other skills but wont list them cus id be here a while.


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## William Gadway (Jul 6, 2014)

done lol


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## omegabrock (Jun 16, 2014)

William Gadway said:


> ive actually been thinking about relocating because of how bad ny is with all the rules and stuff,only thing stopping me atm is the fact i need to save up cash before i move just in case it takes me a bit to find a job somewhere else, ive been thinking out towards texas but anywhere has to be better than nys lol and thanks all for all the welcomes  glade to be here. ill take a look more threw the forums.


don't forget, you can look for jobs while looking for a place to move


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## Armed Iowa (Apr 4, 2014)

Welcome William...
Don't worry so much about getting your prepping all done right away. I have been doing it for several years, and am still learning. You can prep a heck of a lot of stuff on a couple shelves. Work on prepping the stuff you can. So you have to buy canned goods instead of a garden. I don't have room for a garden, but have plenty to eat in a small room in my basement. 
As far as guns and depression... I recently bought a hand gun, they just ask basic questions on the paperwork. I too have had depression, in the past, but am well now. It didn't keep me from getting the guns I wanted. 

Good luck !


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## Innkeeper (Jun 18, 2014)

William Gadway said:


> ive actually been thinking about relocating because of how bad ny is with all the rules and stuff,only thing stopping me atm is the fact i need to save up cash before i move just in case it takes me a bit to find a job somewhere else, ive been thinking out towards texas but anywhere has to be better than nys lol and thanks all for all the welcomes  glade to be here. ill take a look more threw the forums.


Let me ask what do you do for a living? Maybe people on here can give you leads, but it helps to know what you do now.


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## Reptilicus (Jan 4, 2014)

Welcome from the Great State of TEXAS!!!!


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## SquirrelBait (Jun 6, 2014)

MrsInor said:


> Another welcome from Minnesota. A lot of good reference books out there. They LDS book can be had free online. That is a good one to start.


This one?

http://www.tacticalintelligence.net/downloads/LDSPrep-V8.pdf


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## Prepadoodle (May 28, 2013)

I suggest you kill and eat the landlord right away. 

Really though, start by putting away the things you would need to survive a week without electricity. So some food & water, candles or a lantern and batteries, and whatever else you would like to help see you through. Once you have that handled, you can look into making some sort of a plan for a longer term crisis.


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## SquirrelBait (Jun 6, 2014)

Pick up a couple first aid kits, Pick up a couple fire extinguishers for the house and car. Work on get home bags for each member of your family. Work out from there to cold and fever packs, Other medications and supplements, BOBs, And rally points for family members. 

If firearms are hard to get, Work on other self defense items. Knives, CS/OC cannisters, Blow guns, Chains, What ever works...


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## shooter (Dec 25, 2012)

welcome form nor cal


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## microprepper (Nov 21, 2013)

William Gadway said:


> ive actually been thinking about relocating because of how bad ny is with all the rules and stuff,only thing stopping me atm is the fact i need to save up cash before i move just in case it takes me a bit to find a job somewhere else, ive been thinking out towards texas but anywhere has to be better than nys lol and thanks all for all the welcomes  glade to be here. ill take a look more threw the forums.


Texas is best IMHO. Wasn't born here but got here as fast as I could! Really, the lifestyle here is a lot more independent and self-reliance is built into the culture. If you move here you will actually experience a kind of de-compression or culture-shock when you realize that there is no nanny-police kind of machine right close (unless you make the mistake of moving into one of the "blue dot" places like Austin)


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## RNprepper (Apr 5, 2014)

http://www.ready.gov/sites/default/files/documents/files/checklist3.pdf

Here is a good basic checklist to start with.


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## Jeep (Aug 5, 2014)

Hi William and welcome. I am new to prepping as well and I find that I can not keep focused on any one thing, such as food and water and guns and on and on. One thing I have done since I have a wife is give her a list of foods that I want. She is becoming an expert couponer and saving tons on both food and hygiene items as well as cleaning products. So that takes food off my list. And we also agree about the purchasing of pre packed buckets and MRE type foods. So now I have moved on to water, but before I go any further, are you planning to stay put or get out, this makes a huge difference. So water I am planning for 4 people plus my livestock and pets. How much per person and animal and such, but that includes garden water as well, which I initially forgot. So I drew up a plan for all the water, containers system etc and made a shopping list. I am now doing the same for my livestocks food and such, and then moving on to another thing until I have a good rounded out system and then go on from there. Hope this helps


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