[Antwan23]

Hey guys, When before I deployed my wife was not able to be in the same room with one of my guns with out almost going into shock. Now she is able to watch me clean them and I actually let her hold one once(even though she gave it back quickly. I sleep with my Mossberg next to my bed. Yesterday the maintenance man came to fix out door and she PICKED UP my loaded shotgun and hid it for me while I was at work, because she knows I don't want people knowing we have guns. I was amazed. Shes slowly coming along.

Also while I was deployed I found this website and introduced the idea of prepping as well. She thought I was nuts then. But I told her again about it a couple of days ago and now shes "ok"with it. I told her we if we can buy two of something why only buy one? I don't think she knows how much prepping stuff I will actually be putting in our storage place, but she wont have a choice but to accept it. LOL.


Anyway to my question, what do you think my next step should be in getting her on board. I want her to go to the range with me and shoot my 10/22 and I actually want her to buy preps. I personally think it will just take time, but what would you do next?

 

[keystone]

While shooting may be the most fun part for you, it sounds like something she is pretty iffy on right now. Why not focus on another area to start with instead?

My wife and I have been trying different ways of baking bread from home ground whole grains. That's been fun and I've learned a lot from it. We also cut fruit to dehydrate together, and I'm trying to teach her canning.

She'll come around to shooting in time, if you push her you risk losing whatever progress she's made on her own. When you do, I recommend going to an Appleseed shoot -- it's a friendly, structured way of introducing someone to shooting without the pressure of being told what to do by someone who is close to you. There will likely be other women and a half chance that kids will be learning to shoot as well. The history component of Appleseed is important for every American to know and understand.

Apart from shooting a pistol at a commercial range, an Appleseed event was my wife's first exposure to shooting and she really enjoyed it.

 

[PSYOP Soldier]

Congrats...Now the PSYOP begins...

I would suggest reading and following the various guvco sites on being prepared: FEMA, Red Cross, local state resources etc...Heck, even NASA is getting their folks prepared...

Sit down and read and discuss this .pdf on When the Trucks Stop, America Stops...

Ask her to take care of misc food/pantry items for 3 days or so..Once she literally buys in, its a smooth ride to a week, then two/three, and so on...

That is the strategy i took with my non prepper/non militant wife..Now, she gets it and is onboard...She still rolls her eyes at times at some of my purchases, but as long as they don't detract from the houshold necesseties, she is ok...

 

[AmericanPatriot121]

Hold off on the live ammo shooting for now. Start small. Set up an area to store your food and other preps and have her help you start stockpiling in small increments. Once she gets started it can get addictive figuratively speaking. Then have her help you clean the weapons and start training her on using then with snap caps first. When she is 100% proficient loading, unloading and handling the weapon all with the snap caps, her confidence will increase, then go to the range for live fire practice.

 

[Odessa]

Take her to the range and make it fun for her, shoot your 22 and even make games out of it, who can shoot the most targets the fastest or get the most holes in certain targets. If its allowed make reactive targets like empty cans that move around when hit. When shes nice and comfy, hand her your 416 rigby. Joke.

Slowly have her start watching with you, Jeremiah Johnson and throw your 2 pennies in at key parts, move her onto Death Hunt with Charles Bronson. (one of the greatest movies ever but little known about). Then something modern like the latest War of the Worlds. The escape scene with the minivan, let her see the mobs chasing them and attacking them, the basement scene of being forced to being holed up, why food and water would be necessary.

When shopping get a bag or two of beans, when asked why tell her simply its light weight food, takes up little space, its something you can fall back on if times get hard, and you can plant those beans in a garden if need be for some additional food. Baby her and let what you do make sense, take it light, dont take her to a gunshow and come back with scores of full ammo cans and some kevlar, keep the tactical stuff to when shes not around so she dont feel intimidated by all that cammo and belts of ammo you are hauling in.

 

[vhbrown2]

I agree with most the above - keep the gun stuff low key for now. I suggest start with building a 72-hour emergency kit for power outages, etc ((ideas for these are all over on the internet)). Encourage buying food items while on sale - she knows the price of food is going up. Make sure there is a storage area for this extra ((I hate the idea of stashing things under the bed. This will be my last resort)).

You know your wife...her strengths, her intellect, her way of dealing with situations.

...from a wife who had to be convinced

 

[9111315]

Do you have your CCW? You should get that on your own.

Do you have a good first aid kit. (Heck, I kept I.V. and quick-clot from my deployment)

Do you have an emergency / Bug Over Night Bag, (BONB) in your car. A few times, My wife and I have decided to stay overnight somewhere. Just too late to travel home or found something on a day trip which we wanted to do the next morning and such. We would make a quick stop by Wally Wourld and pick up fresh skivvies, thoothbrushes and other small items.

Or we would be too cheap to/not in the mood for a restruant and decide to just go by Smith's and pick up fixins for sandwiches, and the needed papercups, plates, plasticware.

On the overnight trips, we spent so much time getting supplies at Wally World it would be too late to relaxe. At Smith's we would spend more money on all the support stuff than just going to Mc D's.

If you have a BONB, you can put a change of clothes and a few picknic utensels. Maybe so water. This would be the start of your real Bug Out Bag for a flood or hurricane. In the mean time, you’ll have what you need to be more spontaneous (A way to practice Fragos and Plan B)

Where to start.
1. Prep for the small emergancies-unexpected activities. (discussed above)
2. Buy extra of what you get anyway, as you said.
3. Look for long term food storage items.
4. Look for ways to save money on bulk purchases of sale items. (building on #2)
5. Download and print out Gun Facts version 5.1
6. Go through the FEMA/NASA checklists (add a gun w/CCW)
7. Take your wife to the range (She may ask prior to this)

#5 may really **** off your wife when she finds out she has been lied to all these years. This may be the best way to turn liberals from the dark side. Lies Lies Lies. Once you find out that your are being lied to on one issue, you begin to question all their other crap.

 

[Crutch]

What's next? Making it fun for her.

Take her camping man. Not the buggy tent camping, but to the mountains. Stay in a cabin and get her used to the idea of how freeing it will be to live independent.

http://www.gsmnp.com/pages/smoky_mountain_cabins.html

Some of our greatest strengths Antwan is our unique pleasures.

If she isn't into camping, then introduce her to all the foods our society doesn't understand because walmart doesn't sell it. Everyone likes to eat and there is so much out there! Personally, I love to cook so it's an adventure for me.

How about hunting/nature walks/hiking? Seeing the land, breathing clean air, getting back in touch with nature.

The more you experience it, the more you are exposed, the less you want to do with concrete jungles and polluted playgrounds.

Antwan, the key is knowing your wife and seeking out what aspects of survival she will not only enjoy, but relate to.

 

[ackbob]

Consider printing off some of the lists from this site and sit down with her and compare what you have with what is on the lists..... see what she thinks about the lists and how to modify them for your needs............... a lot of these lists are excellent and all encompassing and none of what is on them is extreme...... plus what you would be buying for the most part would be things you would use on a normal every day basis.......

 

[NoFlyZone]

Ask her if she would start clipping coupons to help cut down on the grocery bill.
My wife got into couponing (if that's really a word) and it's a really cost effective way of stockpiling stuff.
That way, your wife can be part of the process without having to shoot anything.

 

[Kansas Terri]

Shooting at a range sounds like a fun thing to do during a beautiful summer day: just remember to keep it light.

As for the next thing, ask her opinion of what canned meals you and your wife would like. Personally I have canned chicken, which can be added to a varity of things for chicken/noodle soup, Chicken 'n dumplings, and so forth.

I also intend to buy more Ragu spagetti sauce to go with the 12 pounds of spagetti that are safely stored away: remember to freeze grain products before you store them to kill any moth eggs. You do not want them to hatch.

When we lost power during an ice storm I did not want to take the time to cook: there were downed power lines near my place to locate, and wood to bring in to the fireplace, and neighbors to check on. I did NOT! want to stop and cook, but I and my family needed food. What we turned to was the instant meals that could be quickly heated, like canned ravioli and tuna noodle cooked in the fireplace.

I think that your next step would be to get her thinking and buying for instant meals such as these. And, TRUST me, you need variety. We did NOT want to eat tuna several times a day and so as soon as the roads were open I went shopping.

Our power was back in 3 days, but a few people were without power for 2 weeks. A variety of canned food would have been VERY welcome as we liked the hot food (it was chilly inside), but we got bored of tuna. I have a cupboard that I am slowly filling with good canned meat, to go with the stored rice and spagetti.

I have got fish and chicken and stew in that cupboard: I am considering finding some plain canned beef next. I am only storing the good stuff: spam is less worthy of my limited storage space. We like chicken and beef, even though it is more expensive.

I really should have water as well, but I haven't gotten to that yet.

 

[W.Lynn]

OKC/Tinker area is prone to flash floods and tornadoes from thunderstorms. Ask her what she would need if the lines were so beat down in that it would be two weeks until there was power again. If you get stationed elsewhere, apply the same thinking (blizzards, rivers flooding, coastal areas and hurricanes, etc,)

Then the fun part, you make such a list too. Then compare, and try to find holes - canned food might be there, but a camp stove to heat dinner and wash water on might not be. Hygienic supplies need to be more than toothpaste and toothbrushes.

Then ask her to take care of most of it "so you don't forget anything important to her" - food, extra blankets or sleeping bags, getting an extra savings account so you can save for a generator without it being mixed into the household bills and grocery money.

When you've got two weeks covered, introduce the concept of a bug-out bag, evacuation options that don't include being shuffled into mass insanity in Superdome/Katrina conditions.

We ladies prefer some things to be orderly and predictable (don't bother repeating that, no one will believe you,) be clear that you just want life to "stay sane" when the next tornado, flood, whatever, comes through. Before you know it, she'll be telling you why you need three months supply instead of two weeks.

 

[rover]

How about a nice restaurant, a coach hand bag and a walther P22 for her.

 

[Crutch]

Get her this.

 

[frggy]

Get her to start purchasing non-lethal items for your stash. Food, first aid, etc.. Then work up to the bigger items.

 

[LtScott14]

Yep, food and water preps first. Easy med prep, batteries, camp type stuff and more. Lots of people put big stock into firearms, you do need some, but other stuff is important. Go camping, hiking, fishing, and learn the outdoors. Do a Dave/Cody thing and try for fire without tools first. Use that backpack tent. You can even set up in your own backyard! Make it fun first, then learn next. Good luck.

 

[onealx4]

My wife sounds EXACTLY how your wife is now. Just take it in baby steps, so far you seem to be doing good.

It is going to be ALOT of baby steps, just bear with her. My wife and I have been together for a long time and in the beginning of our marriage, she would only eat at known chain restaurants, would only buy food from big name stores etc. She would never dream of hiking, fishing, camping etc because the outdoors were just not her element.

Now, she likes to fish, baits her own hooks with minnows. She likes to camp. She absolutely hates the city, when I say she hates the city.. I use that term conservatively.

This will take some time, just take it in baby steps. My wife shot her first gun a month or so back and I tell you she was nervous. Now she owns a Glock 19 and she shoots regularly for proficiency. My wife turned out to be a great prepper. She eats veggies out of our garden (which she loves). 10 years ago, those veggies better of came from a Kroger or she wouldn't of touched it.

My baby steps have led me now to where I am trying to get her to try eating our chickens. She said she would start with the eggs.

Its all a mental thing, just take it at her own pace.

*edit
reading through the other posts, I can say I have been there and done that. My wife went from city girl to country girl and it took 14 years. Getting her to the range is a good idea, don't try forcing her to shoot. I took my wife to the range and she just stood back and watched for half an hour or so. Every time I would reload my magazines, she would ask questions. I asked her if she wanted to shoot and she was somewhat nervous. She did shoot though, one round through a S&W MnP .40. She handed the gun back and said something about the orange flash out of the barrel. A few mags later, she was ready to try again. This time, she shot a whole magazine. The next time we went to the range, I asked her if she would be interested in shooting something in a lower caliber. She shot the hell out of the range's 9mm. After shooting .40, the 9mm seemed a better option for her to the point, thats what she felt comfy with.

When you take her to the range, let her stand and watch you for a bit. Let her ask all the dumb questions she wants to ask. Then let her shoot. If you try forcing her to shoot, she will not want to go back with you, make it pleasant for her.

 

[jglawson123]

Antwan23,


Your other half have a BOB yet?? Would get her in the loop as to what "She" wants in "Her" BOB...and if you do not have a BOB...get your bag up to speed as well...then compare notes on each BOB...and see if you might need to add anything else you both might have missed or did not think about...think it took about 2-3 months for my wife and I to get our BOB's to where we wanted them to be...:xeye:

 

[Natiprepper]

Lucky you, I will really have to start working on the wife. Hope to learn alot from these boards

 

[LaciRich]

Hey guys, When before I deployed my wife was not able to be in the same room with one of my guns with out almost going into shock. Now she is able to watch me clean them and I actually let her hold one once(even though she gave it back quickly. I sleep with my Mossberg next to my bed. Yesterday the maintenance man came to fix out door and she PICKED UP my loaded shotgun and hid it for me while I was at work, because she knows I don't want people knowing we have guns. I was amazed. Shes slowly coming along.

Also while I was deployed I found this website and introduced the idea of prepping as well. She thought I was nuts then. But I told her again about it a couple of days ago and now shes "ok"with it. I told her we if we can buy two of something why only buy one? I don't think she knows how much prepping stuff I will actually be putting in our storage place, but she wont have a choice but to accept it. LOL.


Anyway to my question, what do you think my next step should be in getting her on board. I want her to go to the range with me and shoot my 10/22 and I actually want her to buy preps. I personally think it will just take time, but what would you do next?

Here's my honest opinion. I see that you live in Oklahoma City. Take her somewhere to see the affects of natural disasters and SHTF first hand. If you can get to Joplin, MO., do it. During the winter, when you have warnings about big storms, take her to grocery stores and Walmarts for her to get a good long gander at how people react and make it a point to show her the food shelves, space heater shelves and the lamp oil section. Do this about 5 hours before the storm hits, because that's when it's at it's peak. You don't even need to buy anything in there, just take her there like you would to a zoo exhibit. I'm not kidding.

Also, have her read this website. This one has changed even some people that I know who were very anti prep. http://www.theplacewithnoname.com/blogs/klessons/
It's called Listening to Katrina.

The best thing you can do is show her the effects of not being prepared. The grocery store is the single greatest way to do that.