I work in Seattle, so most of the people I see at work live in the city. When I first started writing my blog and discussing prepping at work, there was a friendly support of my efforts, but not that much interest in the topic. As time has passed, that has started to change; people are asking more questions, awareness is increasing, and people are letting me know when their preparations (even very minor) are paying off.

Recently I was asked about prepping if you live in the city, by yourself, in a small apartment. The comment/slight complaint was that I always write about prepping for a family in a suburban home. I explained that I write about what I know; that the main purpose of my blog is a reflection of the preparations I’m learning about and making in my family’s life. My immediate thought was that any prepper who lived in the city should be actively looking for a way to move out! But then I realized that some people don’t have that option (work, family, finances, support systems) or just really like to live in the city.

I agreed that a discussion of urban prepping, on the blog, would be a worthwhile topic (it was briefly addressed in Location, Location, Location). And though I was willing to research more about city prepping, I decided it’d be better if it came from someone who actually lived that life. I approached a good friend, Shawn, who is somewhat prepper-minded and reads my blog (so he understands my baseline); he lives alone, in a one bedroom apartment on the fourth floor, near the city’s center. Shawn agreed to write the post (possibly a short series) about his insights, choices, and ideas about prepping in the big city (it will be posted the last week of March).

As mentioned above, our blog is starting to reach further. Both in people I know personally, and especially in the online community. As I look at the stats that show the number of visitors to TraceMyPreps.com I’m humbled at how many people are reading on a regular basis. It’s a validation that what I’m doing here has meaning and purpose (we all need that from time to time).

Not a whole lot else of actual prepping this week. We have some things planned for next week that hopefully will get done (finally ordering seeds, getting more compost, getting the garden ready).

Some follow-up. As mentioned in my posts Walk A Mile In Your Shoes Part 1 and Part 2, my workout regime now incorporates regular walks with Kate (our 6-month Border Collie). My new Danner boots (now nicely broken-in) work well hiking on the trails through the woods behind our neighborhood. I’m now carrying about 60-70 pounds in my pack (about 1/3 my body weight, which is kind of the recommended upper limit) for about an hour, several times a week. I’m enjoying my workouts (I had gotten very tired of just going to the gym, year after year), and–after a few weeks–I, again, feel much more comfortable and competent about walking greater distances.

FYI there is a gun show at the fairgrounds in Puyallup, WA this weekend, March 25-26. It’s put on by the Washington Arms Collectors and open to all. They, of course, have a wide selection of guns, ammo, and related equipment, but also a good variety of prepper items and books. Definitely worth checking out if you live nearby.

What did you do?