Hi SuzieQ,

It's always nice to see other women on this forum! I'm glad you joined us.

My husband shares a bit of your husband's skepticism, so I know how you feel. It is a pretty natural response. What helps is just to keep going anyway, slowly buying supplies here and there, and learning what you can. Perhaps there is something you don't quite understand about your husband, but support him on it anyway? That keeps it in perspective for me.

Preparedness can be as simple as buying a few extra cans of food every week. The way I see it, if you're gearing up slowly because you're doing the research and buying what works specifically for you and your budget, then you're doing it right. We live in a small condo, so storage space is a concern. We can't possibly fit a whole year's worth of food in our place, but we can stretch out several weeks, at least. Don't look at things as "limitations," but rather as parameters for your own personal plan.

As far as moving your stuff, it helps to have a variety of gear systems. If we have access to our car, we can take our trunk of heavy-duty, robust gear and more supplies. If we have to proceed on foot, we have similar, but lighter "backpacking"-style equipment in packs.

Honestly, testing your skills and gear is a fun part of this learning process. It doesn't need to be "hardcore" at first, either (heck, I consider cooking in the wilderness to be an important skill), and I can't imagine any guy who wouldn't enjoy it. Just start camping with your husband and see how it goes from there.