By Michael, on September 27th, 2013 
“What’s the most common mistake made by new survivalist? How can we avoid it?“ – asked by Matt via email.
Here are a few quick mistakes that I see new survivalist making (and some, I’ve made myself). They’re listed in no particular order and I’d love for you to continue the list in comments below:
1. Giving up to early – Many new survivalist start out with a load of energy only to run dry, giving up before meeting their goals. The main reason – they think they have to spend thousands of dollars on a retreat, survival food and arsenal, money that they don’t have – so they give up all together.
2. Putting off starting – Procrastination is something we’ve talked about before, but is worth mentioning again. Don’t put off starting your preparedness program. The number one excuse given is a lack of money – see point one above. (see my article – How to Stop Procrastinating and Start Prepping)
3. Not making their own plan - Many new survivalist (aka preppers), not knowing where to start attempt to follow the plans of others. Granted there will be a lot of similarity between most survival plans, but it is important to look at your location, needs and budget and plan so. Some survival authors / bloggers seem to have unlimited amounts of money for preps, and trying to follow in their footsteps can turn a lot of people away from the idea of prepping altogether.
4. Overlooking the need for shelter - Many new (and veteran) survivalist fail to realize the importance, of a paid for plot of land and shelter. They seem to think their debt will just disappear or be forgiven. Sorry folks it don’t work that way. If you can’t get out of debt, think about having a travel trailer or small cabin as a backup shelter plan.
5. Bugging out – Bugging out can work, if you have a place to go and make it there unscathed. But the throw on a pack and live in the woods “plan” is lacking in reality and practicality. Some will pull it off – most will not. (see my article Bugging out vs. Hunkering Down)
6. Too many guns - Firearms are very important for foraging and protection, but many new (and veteran) preppers have more guns than pounds of wheat. Get a .22 rifle, 12 gauge shotgun and a handgun and the life-sustaining basics (shelter, water, shelter, medical) squared away first before considering expanding your gun collection.
7. Buying books and not reading – I’m sure many of you do this. You read a review of a preparedness book, send for it, it arrives in the mail, you open the package, thumb through it, you think “I’ll read it when I have more time” and on the shelf it goes. Don’t do this, read it.
8. Buying books and not doing – Still others read the books, but that’s as far as it goes. They never go out and test or learn what they’ve read. Reading is great, but you need to get off the couch and put what you’ve read into practice.
9. Not planning for unexpected arrivals – What will you do when unexpected visitors arrive at your door looking for a handout post collapse? Buying extra food and assembling care packages is a good idea.
10. Closed mind – They become fixated with their plans (or plans of others see #3). If something works, great; if not, you need to find out what the problem is and fix it – even if it means a complete overhaul of your original plan.
There’s A LOT more to be said on this topic – what mistakes do you see new (and older) survivalist making? What mistakes have you made? Please share with us in the comments below…
