In case you haven’t noticed it yet, no one is laughing at preppers anymore. If you’ve been prepping for some time now, don’t let this go to your head. While it would be fun to gloat and rub it in other people’s faces, the better thing to do is to help them fully understand what prepping is. Start with your relatives and close friends. Share some prepping tips that any beginner would understand.
The coronavirus pandemic opened the eyes of many to the importance of being prepared. Hopefully, this doesn’t end on realization alone. The start of the new year is a great time to finally take prepping seriously. This list of prepping tips is just the tip of the iceberg. You can and should do more to make sure you and your family will no longer be ill-prepared if and when disaster strikes.
Be Ready For Anything
One common mistake of newbie preppers is that they fail to prepare for different kinds of emergency situations. If you live in a hurricane or typhoon-prone area, for example, your tendency is to focus on that particular disaster. But what would you do if there’s an earthquake or if a terrorist group attacks? Are you also ready for them? It’s wise to prepare for what you know will likely happen. But a true prepper knows it’s also important to prepare for everything else.
Prepare For A Financial Crisis
Being a prepper is not just about stockpiling supplies and building an underground bunker. A serious prepper also takes care of their finances. The more stable your income is, the better prepared you can be. It’s that simple.
The country’s economy took a hard hit because of the pandemic. As a matter of fact, the whole world is reeling from the effects of the coronavirus on the economy among other things. We really don’t have to go that far, though.
Many of us have been struggling since the pandemic started. In fact, lots of people were laid off while businesses were forced to close. The predictions for the economy in 2021 look a little brighter but you should still be prepared. An improvement in the nation’s economy doesn’t always translate to personal gains. The government may boast on national TV that the economy is booming but you’re still struggling to pay your bills.
Find Other Ways to Earn
If you still have a source of income then good for you. Don’t be too confident, though. You should still look for other ways to put food on the table.
Make use of your skills. If you know a thing or two about woodworking or house repairs, you can offer your services for a fee. Do you love gardening, cooking, baking, or sewing? Sell what you grow or make.
Aside from taking other jobs, you can sell stuff online. This has become popular nowadays since most people would rather not go out.
Settle Debts
You also need to pay off your debts quickly. Make sure you don’t let up on paying mortgages and such. There’s always the risk of losing what you’ve been trying so hard to pay for. One missed payment and you might screw up your budget for the next months.
Save Up
Set money aside so you have something to use in case of emergencies. Ideally, your savings should remain untouched until you retire. However, medical emergencies and other similar predicaments will require you to shell out cash, which you normally won’t spend. So set aside some of your hard-earned money so you have an emergency fund to go with your retirement fund.
Stock Up On Emergency Food and Water
We mentioned stocking up on supplies a while ago and for good reason. Prepper or not, you should have an ample supply of food, water, and other basic necessities. It’s quite annoying when you’re making dinner and realize you’ve run out of a particular ingredient. So now you have to rush out to the nearest store and hope they have what you need. Such a waste of time and energy.
That’s not even the most important reason. Stocking up on supplies is one of the most important prepping tips you should do to start the year right. You can think of it as the backbone of prepping. Simply put, you need food and water to survive.
Toilet paper will not keep you alive. It’ll only keep your behind clean. Know your priorities. And by that, we mean food and water.
When it comes to food, choose non-perishable ones. Canned meat is a great alternative to fresh meat. The best canned meats for your emergency food supply are the ones with a shelf life of up to 25 years. Other non-perishable food items include canned soup and vegetables, dried or dehydrated food such as meat jerky and dried fruits, rice and other grains, cereal, pasta, protein bars, crackers, powdered milk, and condiments, among other emergency foods.
Water is even more important than food. You can survive without food for 3 weeks but without water, you can only last 3 days. Don’t depend on the water grid. There’s always the possibility that it will break down or go dry.
Store clean drinking water in BPA-free containers. You can also stockpile bottled water. Invest in WaterBOBs, barrels, and other large containers. Fill them up with water once you get wind of an approaching calamity. In case, you’re drinking water runs out, you can sterilize the water you have collected by boiling it or by using water purification tablets and water filters.
Consider Each Family Member’s Preferences
You’ve got the basics down in terms of what you have to stockpile in your pantry. Now you need to consider every individual in your household. Think about their particular needs or wants.
In terms of food, you should stock up on their favorites. Being able to eat your favorite food during a crisis is one way to lift one’s spirits up. Candies and other sweets can give you some sort of relief from all the stress, especially if you have a sweet tooth.
No Hoarding
Another thing, don’t hoard. Most people rush to buy supplies right before or during a disaster. That’s why you saw long lines of people buying everything from food to drinks and, yes, toilet paper.
The difference between prepping and hoarding is that the former means you stock up on supplies even if there is no imminent danger. This negates the need for you to line up and brave the rowdy crowd. The latter, meanwhile, is the same as stockpiling but you’re doing it in one go.
Aside from the long lines, hoarding also affects your budget. It can eat up your emergency fund leaving you with empty pockets. This is not good if you have a medical emergency.
One prepping tip you need to know is that you can spend a little for your prepper pantry each time you go on a grocery trip. For example, get a couple of canned goods and a couple of bottled water after getting your usual grocery items. These extras go to your prepper pantry. If you do this every time, you’ll soon have a full pantry. When it comes to buying stuff for yourself, go with survival gear instead a brand-new phone or something like that. Put your money on supplies and gear you’ll need to survive emergencies. They’re definitely better investments than new gadgets or wardrobes.
Create A Home Emergency Plan
One major part of prepping is having an emergency plan. When things go wrong everyone needs to know what to do. If a storm is fast approaching, for example, everyone in the household should know how to help out. Some will be in charge of securing the yard and exterior of the house while others will take care of stuff inside. Everyone has to be on the same page. Discuss thoroughly what particular tasks each person has to do in case of an emergency.
Make sure you have an evacuation plan. It should include details on the actions to take during and after evacuating. You should also have particular meet-up points where the family can gather. You also need a bug out location and the different routes heading there.
When you need to bug out, you should act like a single unit with each one knowing their roles. This can be accomplished by regularly practicing your evacuation plan. That way, the evacuation will be smoother and faster. Plus, no one and nothing will be left behind, especially your bug out bags.
Build Your Bug Out Bag
The phrase “bugging out” simply means leaving your home to get to a safer place because of an emergency. You will need to evacuate before or during a natural disaster or threat from fellow humans (or zombies or aliens) when things get really bad.
A bug out bag is something you grab before exiting your home. It contains all the necessary things that you’ll need to survive until you get to a safer place or until things get back to normal. Ideally, each member of the household capable of carrying their own pack should have a bug out bag. If there are young children or someone unable to carry a bag, you’ll need to add their share to your pack.
This on-the-go survival kit should include enough food and water to sustain each person for at least three days. Personal water filters and water purification tablets are BOB must-haves along with waterproof matches, lighters, and fire starters.
Don’t forget your first aid kit. You or someone in your group may get hurt during all the commotion. Learn basic first aid so you can treat minor injuries. You also need communication tools so you can call for help when necessary. Use these tools to stay up-to-date and to inform loved ones of your situation.
Other grab bag staples include items for shelter and warmth like a tent and sleeping bag and light sources like a flashlight, camping lantern, and headlamp. Pack extra clothes, too. You should have weather-appropriate clothes like ponchos, gloves, a hat, and waterproof jackets.
Prepare for infants, elders, pets, and those with special needs. Infants will need enough supplies of formula or baby food. You’ll want to pack diapers, too, since it will be difficult to clean your baby up when you’re not in the comforts of your home.
Make sure you have medicines and medical supplies for those with special needs. Pets also need particular items such as pet food, bowls for food and water, toys, leashes or cages, and poop bags. Bring a first aid kit for your pets, too.
Be Discreet
One of the prepping tips that some preppers, particularly beginners, often forget about is to be discreet. You don’t need to announce to everyone that you’re a prepper. If people are aware that you have food, water, and other items in your home, you’ll be a prime target.
Once food runs out, those who are aware of your stash will either look to you for help or try to take them forcefully from you. You may be forced to part with your stockpile. Either way, you’ll be screwed if you run out of supply quicker than you anticipated.
Build Your Weapons Cache
The rise in mass shootings in the past several years has led to calls for higher taxes and stricter control of firearms. The goal of curbing gun violence is admirable but many Americans are not in favor of losing their rights to defend themselves.
It should be okay for you to purchase firearms if your purpose is to have a weapon for self-defense. As long as you pass psychiatric evaluation, value people’s lives and rights, and respect the law, you should be able to acquire your guns in legal ways.
Start prepping now! These prepping tips will help give you a good head start against any problem that may arise this coming year. Check out Gentleman Pirate Club for a better grasp of what prepping is and how to go about it.
