Probably the best preparation for the coming changes is transforming fear aspects within self and aligning/attuning ever more to PUUL, which stands for pure, universal, unconditional love, which is a bit different than Bruce's PUL but same idea--i've just always liked the word/concept of "Universal", so i throw it in as well. As well as regular meditation and prayer practice.
Btw, i'm not all that concerned about this year of 2012, maybe some things may happen, but i see the greater changes and material challenges happening from 2013 to 2016 or so, in a probability sense (which i've been saying for years now).
But materially, one can make certain preparations as well, and I don't mean creating an underground bunker, with yrs of stocked food, water, fuel, guns, etc. Maybe that will work for some, but we've gotten guidance that we will become nomads for a time living and moving around in the woods, mountains, etc. Unfortunately, some will be raiding and looting, and trying to stay in one place, even if well defended, hidden, etc. may not work out in the long run.
I just recently talked a little about material preparations as regards food over in the Healing section on my thread called "Super Food(s) Experience",
http://afterlife-knowledge.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?num=1325564285 A quick recap: Foods and methods i will be primarily using: a combo of "Perfect food" in a 1 to 2 ratio with a good quality Spirulina and these will be vacuumed packed in smaller packets and kept cold or frozen until i have to move on from our place.
Then, dehydrated, vacuumed packed, and cold stored chia seeds, org. brown rice pasta, and smoked salmon. A quick add on to this list is a vacuumed packed high quality B-12 supplement since i plan on putting off hunting as long as i can. Oh, and all the vacuumed packs will have oxygen absorbers in them, which decrease moisture as well, keeping the food longer and better preserved.
I would like to talk about clothes: I did a lot of research into various fabrics and fibers to see what would be the most efficient and practical ones to take with me for traveling/hiking and general survial. Having hiked across all of Spain over a month, i've come to prefer the 3 method of packing for hiking. Have 3 pairs of most whatever you need (except a coat--1 or 2 should be sufficient for that), for this will cover what you wear for the day, what you need for the morrow while you've washed the previous, and a spare emergency pair in case of whatever.
In most cases, you won't need more than 3 of anything. But i have some super lite linen socks i will pack more than 3 of since they are so lite.
Layers are very smart and practical for cold weather and climates. Instead of 3 really big and bulky sweaters, pack some warmer undershirts and then a couple medium weight sweaters and a lighter one.
Fabrics and fibers: In the hiking and survivalist worlds, there tends to be at least a bit of controversy between two different camps--one which prefers natural and the other which prefers synthetic man made fibers and fabrics.
I lean on the natural side for various reasons. Two thing that natural fibers/fabrics are far superior to all synthetic is in odor control and breath-ability. There are new synthetics which have various ways of dealing with odor control, but not all are necessarily healthy nor long lasting.
With natural fibers, it remains throughout the life of the garment if decently laundered once in awhile. My only garments with significant synethic contents will be two coats, one light rain and wind repellent one (preferably also breathable) and a thicker, down winter coat.
One thing which is certain and which both camps agree with, is that Cotton sucks royally unless you happen to live in an only consistently very warm and very dry climate. Cotton breathes well until it is wet, but it stays wet for a very long time and doesn't wick at all. It is also not warm or insulative at all. It is especially bad for very cold and very wet/humid climates
Almost all synthetics wick much better and dry much faster than most natural fibers (especially important in colder and wetter climates and seasons), but there are some close contenders in the natural fiber world.
The 3 main standouts are Linen, Hemp, and Alpaca. Good quality Merino wool is decent, but doesn't dry as fast or wick as well as the above--plus it's often not as warm as Alpaca. All of my survival clothes pack will consist of these 3 fabrics primarily.
Natural fibers, especially the above ones, do tend to be more expensive, but there are ways around this. I've found a lot of still good quality linen clothes in various thrift shops. Also, a Dillards close by, closed and had huge sales and i got some brand new nice light merino wool sweaters and linen pants, shirts, and shorts for quite cheap.
Warmth: Probably the best fabric out there for warmth, which is somewhat affordable when new, is Alpaca fabric. It is warmer than even high quality Merino wool, because the fiber is more hollow (thus insulates better). It is also stronger, more resilient in general and especially towards UV, more wicking, and slightly faster drying than Merino wool.
Wetness in the form of sweat, as well as other ways, is the enemy when it comes to cold temp. survival. It does tend to be a bit more expensive, on average, than Merino wool, because much less is produced, but if you are a good bargain shopper you will find some good deals like i have.
In a very cold weather day, I might wear say a light, thin, long sleeved linen shirt, then over it a light Alpaca turtle neck sweater, followed by a heavier Alpaca sweater.
Linen and Hemp: Awesome all year round fabrics. They are similar in nature, hence they will be talked about in the same category. I do slightly prefer Linen over Hemp for feel and for availability though. Hemp is also really hard to find in 100 percent forms---so often it's mixed with 45 % org. or regular cotton. Linen is fairly easy to find in 100 % forms and is generally much more easily found anyways.
But they have similar strength and resiliency and similar cooling and insulative properties, with Hemp maybe being a bit tougher and with a bit stronger tencile strength.
Both fabrics keep you warm in cool weather and cool and drier in hot weather. Both breathe very well, and wick and dry much better and faster than cotton, though not as well or as fast as some modern synthetics.
Linen particularly seems to excel in hotter and more humid climates where a lot of sweat is involved.
Besides the Linen clothes i'm packing, including pants, shorts, shirts and socks, i also will be packing a homemade Linen sheet for sleeping, a smaller, folded over and sewn piece for a towel, and a smaller single layer piece for water filtration, etc.
Treat Linen and Hemp decently, and they will last you near a lifetime. That cannot be said for most other fabrics whether natural or synthetic. And you certainly will smell A LOT better in these than in any synthetic, over longer periods of time.
Pack one good hiking sandal and one pair of sturdier and warmer shoes, or go the Cody Lundin route and do barefoot or layered socks.
T.B.C...