Category Archives: Prepping Info

Pause momentarily, and imagine what happens if disaster strikes today. Let’s assume emergency services are suspended, meaning you have to fend for yourself. The situation seems bleak and full of despair. 

It’s no secret that the government and law enforcement agencies go a long way to ensure some semblance of order in society. If these agencies and institutions weren’t around to protect you during an emergency, you would be vulnerable to hardened criminals, looters, and violent people.

That’s a frightening thought for many, causing preppers to secure their homes to prevent such issues if a crisis strikes. 

Securing your home is easier said than done. Numerous cases of home invasions and burglaries exist today, yet people don’t take adequate measures to protect their homes. Living in a civilized society gives people comfort and a sense of security.

However, both these things are likely to evaporate if disaster strikes. Hence, preparing your home for such situations is crucial. Fortunately, preppers have the right idea about home protection so let’s assess how they secure their homes against threats.

Classify Your Property Based on Importance

It can be challenging to protect your entire property from criminals and looters if an emergency occurs. The best initial step to take is to divide your property into zones. Classify it from the most crucial zones to the least important ones. Ideally, your critical zones will be storage and living areas, where you keep most of your essential supplies. You’ll want to ensure you protect these areas better than others.

Create Layers of Protection

The next logical step is to create several protection layers to secure your property against any possible threat. Your goal is to deter looters and burglars from entering your home. There’s no reason to go overboard because if someone wanted to break into your property, they could drive a bulldozer through your walls.

Again, your goal isn’t to fend off a private army. Instead, it’s to protect yourself from desperate looters. Consider installing barbed wires along your walls to prevent unwanted guests from jumping over your walls. Some people also install CCTV cameras and other security solutions for extra protection.

Another crucial thing to consider is that you don’t want to secure your home to the point where you cut off emergency exits.

Appearance is Everything

Your home’s appearance matters. If you’ve decked out your home with expensive ornaments and luxury cars in the driveway, you’re asking for trouble. People will come across your home and see it as a shiny object full of riches. Your goal is to make your home look less appealing to looters and burglars. Try to blend in with your neighborhood. Consider parking your vehicles in the garage and closing the garage door.

Use Deterrents

Criminals don’t want to draw unnecessary attention to their illicit activities. Light and sound often spook them. Consider installing solar-powered security lights and motion-sensitive security lighting around your premises to thwart them. Some preppers also like to have multiple strong watchdogs on the property because they provide excellent protection.

Preparing for an emergency is easier said than done. It requires extensive knowledge and skill to prepare adequately for an unanticipated emergency. Most preppers struggle with finding the right mix that will help them get through an emergency if they’re on their own for a few days.

However, that’s the best-case scenario. You could be stuck by yourself for a few weeks or months without external assistance. It’s best to prepare yourself accordingly. Ask any prepper worth their salt, and they’ll tell you the importance of building an emergency survival kit to get you through the bad times.

What Your Emergency Preparedness Kit Should Contain?

Here are some items that your emergency preparedness kit should contain. They include:

Water

The first and foremost item you need in your emergency survival kit is bottled water and multiple water filtration devices. You don’t know if you’ll have access to clean drinking water in an emergency. Hence, it’s best to prepare in advance by stocking up on purified water.

Red Cross recommends carrying one gallon of water per day for one person. The amount of water in your emergency survival kit depends on the kit’s intended purpose. If you’re preparing a kit for traveling, consider stocking it with enough water for at least 5 to 10days.

On the flip side, stock your kit (if enough space allows) with water for 2-6 months if you’re preparing a kit for your home.

Food

Food is another essential element for survival. Humans can go for approximately three days without food. However, your fitness, health, performance, and lucidity will suffer the longer you starve. Consider stocking your emergency survival kit with canned goods and power bars. These items have long shelf lives and don’t require any prior preparation. You can consume them immediately without needing any cooking apparatus.

Flashlight

Electricity is one of the first things to go when an emergency occurs. You’ll need a variety of flashlights and headlamps to operate in the dark effectively. In addition, if you’re preparing a travel survival kit, you’ll need a couple of flashlights to help you navigate the wilderness.

Battery-Powered or Hand-Crank Radio

Establishing communication is crucial at some point after an emergency. However, you’ll struggle to do so without the right tools. A battery-powered or hand-crank radio is an essential item in your survival

First-Aid Kit

A first-aid kit is another essential item to have in your survival kit. Whether you get cut or sustain a serious injury, you’ll need something to patch yourself up with, particularly since ambulances won’t be a viable option in an emergency scenario.

Medications

You’ll also need medications for any existing conditions you might have. It’s also wise to stock up on common, over-the-counter medicines for headaches, upset stomachs, pain relief, etc.

Multi-Purpose Tool

I think you would be pretty surprised how truly useful this type of tool can be for accomplishing a variety of tasks. Be sure to keep a variety of them in all of your camping, bugout bags and emergency kits. A multi-purpose tool can prove beneficial because it can help you cut cordage, tree branches, carve out wood to make bowls, spoons, chairs, pinch and twist things with the pliers.. etc.

Shelter and Clothing

Shelter and clothing are other essential needs for survival. It’ll serve you well to have an extra pair of clothing in your survival kit. In addition, carrying a reflective emergency blanket is also crucial. You can also use this blanket as an emergency shelter if the situation requires it. Another valuable addition to your survival kit is a waterproof tarp for extra coverage.

Ask any prepper, and they’ll tell you the most important things for survival are food, shelter, and water. You can’t expect to last long without having food to sustain you. After all, you’ll have no sustenance, meaning you won’t get much work done on an empty, rumbling stomach. 

Preppers often go to extensive lengths to prepare their food rations and stockpile them accordingly. Let’s assume an emergency occurs tomorrow. How many days can you last with the food in your house? The answer’s probably a few. You might last a few weeks if you’ve got some canned goods in your pantry. But eventually, you’ll need to make a food run.

However, you won’t fare well going to the supermarkets in an emergency. Preppers understand this notion, which is why they ensure they strategically stockpile food rations to outlast most emergency scenarios. 

Considerations When Stockpiling Food Rations

Stockpiling food rations is a skill that you must master. You’ll have to consider several things before stocking your home, including the following:

• Taste: You’ll probably not be eating Michelin-starred dishes when resorting to your food rations. However, you’ll still need food that’s appetizing enough to eat for an extended period.
  
  

• Cost: While food rations last a long time, they have an expiry date. You’ll have to replace them with new ones eventually. You have to ensure your food rations aren’t expensive and worth the investment.
  

• Storage: You might fancy selecting some frozen items for stockpiling. However, you have to be cautious. What happens if you’re without electricity for an extended period? You’ll need food you can store easily without taking too much space.
  
  
• Nutritional value: You have to ensure your food is rich in nutritional value. You can follow the World Health Organization’s daily nutrients requirements to follow.
  
  

• Longevity: Most food products have a shelf life. You don’t want to select products with a short shelf life because they’ll likely expire before consumption.
  
  
• Trade Value: If the emergency scenario persists for a long time, you’ll likely need to barter with fellow survivors. Hence, consider picking food items with an inherent trade value.
  
  

Storing and Rotating Your Food

How you store your food impacts its shelf life. Experienced preppers will often prepare a dark, cool location for storing their food, whether it’s a basement or a storage cabinet. Ideally, you’ll want to use airtight storage containers or mason jars for storing your food to prevent moisture contamination. Likewise, these containers also prevent damage from rodents and pests. 

You’ll also have to rotate your food periodically. Some food items have a long shelf life, while others have a shorter lifespan. The best thing you can do is take inventory of all your food items when you first purchase them.

Keep a notebook and track crucial details like buying dates, individual items’ shelf life, rotation dates, etc. Doing so will help you manage food storage and eliminate unnecessary waste expenses.

Some Foods You Should Stockpile

Here are some foods you should consider stockpiling because of their long shelf lives and high nutritional values. They include:

Peanut Butter

Peanut butter is an American staple because it provides great value for money. It fulfills all your nutritional values – protein, fats, and carbs – at a low cost. More importantly, peanut butter has an extensive shelf life. Canned variants will usually last for five years, while powdered peanut butter has a fifteen-year shelf life if stored properly.

Coffee and Tea

Coffee and tea have great inherent trading value, particularly in collapsed economies. In addition, instant coffee usually has a shelf life of over 25 years.

Powdered Eggs

Eggs are rich in protein and amino acids. In addition, they’re a flexible ingredient you can use for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Powdered eggs have a shelf life between five to ten years.

Milk Powder

Milk is also rich in protein. The powdered variant usually has a fifteen-year shelf life.

Canned Meat

Canned meat tins provide great nutritional value at a low price. These also have variety because you can get tuna, salmon, chicken, and beef. In addition, they last five-to-ten years, depending on how you store them

Public perception of preppers has significantly changed recently. Once, preppers were regarded as extremist people. However, the stigma attached to preppers has since wavered. People have realized that most preppers are resilient citizens who want to prepare for the worst-case scenarios.

FEMA itself has guidelines regarding citizens as well-prepared or self-reliant in emergency scenarios. Any household that can survive for at least 31 days without external assistance is considered self-reliant. You can view FEMA’s preparedness baseline here.

What’s more interesting is FEMA’s statistics. FEMA carries out an annual survey to assess household preparedness. In 2017, it counted 3.8 percent of US households as self-reliant. The number grew to 4.5 percent in 2018, further rising to 5.2 percent in 2019.

Contextually, these statistics mean that at least 7 million households in the United States are prepared for any emergency scenarios. This number has likely grown exponentially since the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Considering recent circumstances, you might be considering preparing yourself for such scenarios. If that’s indeed the case, you’re not alone. However, you’ll probably need some assistance to get started. In that case, this blog will prove beneficial.

Emergency Preparedness Tips

Here are some emergency preparedness tips that will prove beneficial. They include:

Test Your Mettle

Most people think they’ll manage to do well even in the most difficult circumstances. That’s because they anticipate things will work out exactly as they planned. However, the primary reason behind most people falling apart under pressure is that things don’t work out as anticipated.

Unfortunately, that’s something most people don’t train themselves for, and as a result, they suffer the consequences. Consider training yourself by pushing yourself outside your comfort zone.

Many preppers will often take survival training classes. These classes will simulate possible emergency scenarios, helping you strengthen your mental fortitude.

Get Your Finances Right

Most people often overlook the importance of getting their finances right. Budgeting isn’t fun, but it’s necessary. Pause momentarily and think about how you’ll finance your survival equipment and gear.

In addition, you’ll also need food, first-aid supplies, and other items to be prepared for any emergency scenario. You can’t hope to be self-reliant if you’re swamped with bills and debt repayments.

Learn Crucial Skills

It’s no secret that you’ll need some essential survival skills if an emergency occurs. For instance, you’ll want to learn to create a fire using a fire-starting kit. Likewise, you’ll also want to know how to tie knots with your cordage. Consider acquiring these crucial skills to develop self-confidence.

Most preppers often enroll in survival training classes to enhance their emergency preparedness. These classes are fantastic because they often simulate potential scenarios that might arise. In addition, they also equip you with the necessary survival skills to prepare for the worst-case scenarios.

Knowing you’re prepared for the worst-case scenario will boost your mental resolve and keep you calm under pressure.

Don’t Go Solo

Self-reliance is a key part of survival. However, you can’t survive by yourself if an emergency occurs. Most people adopt a lone wolf attitude when it comes to prepping. That’s a huge mistake.

You have to remember that humans are social animals, and as a result, we have strength in numbers. Having numbers on your side is beneficial because every member of your group will bring something to the table, contributing to your survival cause. 

Practice Spring Cleaning

Spring cleaning isn’t fun, but it’s necessary. You’ll want to do a regular assessment of your prepping supplies. Most preppers will do this quarterly or semi-annually. For instance, food tins often have a shelf life. Some can last for a few weeks, while others can last for a year or two.

You’ll want to replace expired food with newer ones as a prepper. In addition, you’ll want to take inventory of your emergency bags. It’ll also serve you well to do emergency drills if you have young children.

Build a Foundation

Prepping starts with having a solid foundation. You’ll want to ensure you set aside some of your savings to prepare yourself for the worst-case scenario. Most preppers will set aside a percentage of their income. This number can range from ten to sixty percent. In addition, you’ll also want to ensure you develop a health and physical fitness foundation to get you ready for these scenarios.

Create a Checklist

Once you’ve started budgeting for prepping, you’ll need to create a checklist. Your checklist should include information about the survival equipment and gear required for unforeseen circumstances. Items like cordage, first-aid kits, and fire-starting kits are crucial components for most preppers.

In addition, you’ll also want to test your emergency preparedness by having a plan to leave your home if the situation requires it. Create exit plans to evacuate, particularly if you live in a sprawling metropolis or urban area. Most preppers will also have a checklist for their food requirements. You’ll want to do food shopping in advance to prepare yourself for any possible scenario that might arise.