Originally published at Notes from the bunker…. You can comment here or there.

The elections are now less than one year away. Think about that for a minute. You have less than twelve months to hedge your bets and do the things you need to do and buy the things you need to buy. Why the deadline? Well its pretty simple – the odds are good that some of the things you and I want (or need) are the same things that some politicians think we shouldn’t have. But, even if someone were elected who supports the same things we support and believes the same things we believe theres still going to be a ‘panic buying’ episode in the months coming up to the election.

Starting soon you’re going to see the prices of magazines, guns, ammo and the like start going up…because people are going to start stocking up ‘just in case’. The more hardcore of us will also be stocking up on fuel, food and similar needs. More shortages, more price increases.

Gold just is currently over $800 per ounce. A few years ago it was less than half that. Now, most people would think to themselves ‘man, I wish I had bought gold five years ago’. That’s exactly how you’re going to feel in five years if you don’t buy the ‘controversial’ items you can currently buy at reasonable prices.

Whats controversial? Well, the usual ‘black rifles’ and their magazines. ‘High capacity’ pistol magazines. You know, the usual. Anyting else? Ammo, perhaps. No one has made much noise about it but its possible things could go back to the old days when only FFL’s could mailorder ammo. And there very well could be some sort of prohibition on milsurp ammo importation much like BATFE has pulled regarding ‘assault weapons’ parts from overseas.

‘Course, theres more to life (and preserving it) than guns and ammo…that’s just the fun and interesting side. However, its also the side that’s easy to target by those who ‘never met a ban they didn’t like’. Interestingly, as of late there have been some small collateral forays into other aspects of preparedness by the nannystaters. ,Rawles posted on his website that the .gov had recently deemed the sale/distribution of iodine crystals (‘Polar Pur’ and other water treatments) in need of regulation. There was also a mention, although I haven’t been able to confirm it, of .gov leaning on manufacturers to stop selling infrared cyalume lightsticks. Two incidents, if true, that show that it may become increasingly difficult to buy the things we feel we need to keep ourselves safe.

Doomsaying? Probably. But take the upcoming elections out of the equation and look at circumstances around you. We’ve got war(s) going on with possibly another waiting in the wings (Iran), the economy seems to be getting worse, the housing market situation is having a ripple effect in other areas of the economy, food prices are going up as fuel prices continue their climb…. So even if you don’t think that the upcoming elections are any impetus to ratchet up your purchasing theres still plenty of reasons to skip the $3.95 lattes this week and sink the money into other things.