What Are You Prepping For?
As we continue to discuss what things you should or should not prepare for, it is important to really think about why you are preparing.
It shouldn’t be because of something that happens once in a while, it needs to be because you believe there will be a significant amount of chaos and destruction happening in your country or even around the world. It can be due to fears surrounding an economic collapse, a global epidemic, or even just because you like to play with toys!
However, none of these reasons matter if you don’t know how to use what you’ve prepared correctly. This is where most people stumble.
A lot of times, people purchase a couple items and then they forget about them. Or worse, they get some item home and never seem to need it until months later when there’s a major disaster and it doesn’t work. In those cases, it was wasted money.
There are several websites and forums out there that offer tips and tricks for using and storing different supplies so that is another good way to make sure you’re spending your hard-earned dollars effectively.
Prepping for 72 Hours VS Two Weeks
Choosing whether to prioritize short-term or long-term supplies depends mostly on your priorities. If you place more value in saving lives over having enough food to survive two weeks, then investing in a one-month supply of foods is the better choice.
If you’re more concerned about surviving the next few days than keeping up with daily life commitments, buying items that are clearly used rather than new will help preserve the shelf life of the food.
You may also want to consider how much storage space you have and if it can be easily accessed in an emergency. Many people start off by stocking up on three months’ worth of supplies, but soon find they’ve run out of room!
We recommend starting small by picking one or two areas where you plan to store most of your supplies — such as the bedroom or the kitchen table. Then, add onto those from there.
Prepping on a Budget
Being prepared does not require an expensive budget. In fact, some of the things you will need to survive a disaster may be free or very cheap!
Most people start thinking about survivalist modes after watching certain documentaries or reading certain books. These stories always seem to emphasize food as one of the most important items for survivors to gather.
But what if we told you that there is something even better than gathering food? Gaining knowledge and becoming educated about self-sufficiency and home preservation can help you in creating your own supplies and foods!
Having a well stocked pantry full of foods that are stored properly is a great way to begin spending less money on groceries. More advanced ways to preserve and cook with natural resources are also helpful to know.
There are many ways to reduce how much it costs to prepare for emergencies. This article will talk more about this.
Prepping For Self Sufficiency
While some may call preparing for self-sufficiency as expensive or even wasteful, it is actually very efficient if you know how to use what you prepare.
Most people do not realize this, but our economy depends heavily on individuals that have little to no money. They go out daily to provide their basic needs: food, water, shelter, communication.
If these things are taken away from them, our society would collapse. This is why most developed countries ensure citizens can meet their needs by giving them enough to survive for at least one month.
This way, they are guaranteed access to those essentials. It is similar to having a back up source of electricity in case your home’s power goes out!
Self-sufficiency is more than just having a few items – it is being able to thrive with only a handful of resources. Fortunately, we all have something valuable that we could afford to give up.
That thing is….you! You already have everything you need to start practicing self-reliance. All you need to do is get started now.
Prepping for Diseases and Biological Threats
Another area that can be overlooked is disease prevention and treatment. While some diseases cannot be prevented through basic means like washing your hands or vaccinations, others can!
Diseases such as measles, polio, smallpox, and flu are easily spread from person to person via contact with mucus, saliva, blood, or other bodily fluids. By being aware of potential outbreaks, you will know what actions need to be taken to prevent infection.
In addition to educating yourself about how to treat these illnesses, it is important to stay informed on epidemic trends so that you are not exposed to infectious agents unnecessarily.
For example, during the Ebola outbreak in west Africa, many people were advised to practice hand hygiene frequently and properly. However, some members of the public disregarded this advice because they could not afford soap or adequate supplies of water.
By having a general understanding of epidemiology and disease transmission, along with access to resources, individuals can mitigate the risk of getting sick or spreading an illness to those around them.
Water
Having enough water is one of the most important things you can prepare for in any situation. Surviving without food may be possible, but surviving without water probably will not!
Most people assume that they’ll survive a day without eating, but few think about how long it would take to die if there was no water.
General guidelines say that anyone who begins experiencing symptoms like nausea, vomiting or diarrhea must drink something immediately. A small amount of fluid (one cup) per person every hour is recommended until symptoms improve.
More specific warnings include signs of kidney failure and death within hours to days if someone does not get proper help soon.
Running out of water means losing some of our basic survival tools. Fortunately, we all have an instinctual understanding of what needs to be done to stay hydrated.
Drinking lots of plain water is your best bet for keeping yourself healthy even when there is nothing else available.
Thirsty? Have a sip of clear liquid – just make sure it doesn’t contain salt or sugar!
Can’t swallow? Cut back on liquids slowly to avoid coughing. Simply suck off as much moisture from the surface of the mouth and throat as you can.
If needed, use saliva to rinse away the liquid.
Hopefully these tips will help you through the next time this happens to you. » Read more here
This article was inspired by a video where the narrator talks about living
Food
Having enough food to last you for several days is the number one thing anyone should prepare for in any stage of readiness. This includes both short-term foods that can be consumed quickly, and long-term foods that will see use beyond their initial expiration date.
In a crisis situation, people are usually hungry, so your best chance at getting help is if they look forward to eating and you supply them. Therefore, it’s important to know what kind of food is most likely to appeal to others and motivate them to eat.
General tips: Do try to cook with oil or butter (or both) when possible. These fats remain edible longer than other oils or butters, which may go bad faster due to poor quality supplies. Also, make sure to include lots of vegetables and fruits as part of the diet to keep everyone healthy!
Now, some special cases: If someone has an allergy or digestive issue, then avoiding these items might not be feasible unless you learn about the person’s specific allergies. In this case, start thinking about how much extra food you have and whether there’s anything you can do to get more nutrition into their diets.
Another option would be to buy nutritional supplements, but only if you know they work and are safe during a crisis.
Tactical Gear
Having enough tactical gear for your self-defense needs is an important part of being prepared. Luckily, you do not need to spend a large amount of money to purchase quality protective equipment.
Many brands are now offering affordable protective gear that can still be considered durable and trustworthy. Even if you don’t use this equipment for self-protection purposes, it can help you in another field.
For example, safety goggles can aid in protecting your home or business from any kind of pollution or debris that could damage or destroy what you are working on. Leather gloves can help preserve your natural resources by limiting water absorption.
Running shoes are essential since most people will likely take public transportation after a disaster. You want to make sure your feet are comfortable, but also sturdy so you won’t hurt yourself when you need to get somewhere quickly.
If you love camping, then buying some basic supplies like a good night’s sleep, food, and water proof containers is a great way to start exploring the world of survivalism.
Prepping for Bugging-Out
A helpful way to organize your supplies is by grouping them according to what purposes they fulfill. For example, if you group all of your water bottles together, then it becomes easy to identify which ones are empty and need to be replaced.
The same goes for food! If you put your one pack of dried pasta in a bag, it can get messy looking so we recommend putting each type of food in its own container or package. This will help you recognize what foods are running out and how to fix that before buying more.
Grouping like this also helps streamline your organization as you prepare. When everything is in one place, it gets hard to miss when there’s an empty box somewhere. Plus, it makes room inventory tracking easier too!