The most valuable prep I have is..

A good partner.  My wife doesn't always understand my concerns.  She doesn't always agree with me.  She will on occasion, grill me before or after a prepping gear purchase.  Not in a "we don't need it you are wasting money" way, but a probing "explain why this is the best solution, stay on your toes" way.

She isn't an "outdoor" girl.  She isn't ready to go off camping in the woods and rough it.  But she is smart, resourceful, she can shoot better then me, and agrees with my one simple philosophy on marriage.

Marriage is not a 50/50 deal. it is 100% all or nothing proposition.  If you go into it thinking 50/50, then you are expecting your wife or husband to meet you in the middle.  But there are going to be days when all you have is 25% to give and so will your partner.  You have to be ready to meet then where they are. To carry them AND the ball to the end zone. to deliver 100% when they have nothing, and know that when you have run your last mile and fall on your knees, they will be there to pick you up and carry you.

And so here is my wife, sitting in a tent, not complaining about bugs, not complaining about the heat, not complaining about eating camp food, not complaining about no indoor plumbing.  Here she is humoring me while I test my outdoor gear.

So what the heck does any of this diatribe have to do with prepping?  I don't know, but when the discussion comes of prepping groups, and survival teams, and all that stuff as they always do, I know I am never alone.  You can't do this alone. That doesn't mean you need to be married to Bear Grylls.  but you need a partner to support you emotionally.  Because prepping for the worst, means mentally taking on the stress of and facing the worst possible situation ever in your head at this moment, and trying to solve a future problem now.  Prepping means facing the beast, and the reality that darkness, death, and a crisis will come one day.  It is a weight and responsibility non preppers can not fathom. And even if your partner never buys a single can of beans, if they support you emotionally, and that allows you to move ahead and prepare, they have contributed more then the gold in fort knox.