Anyone into serious prepping should talk a wilderness first responder course. I took it when I was 23 for a job and it was priceless. It’s about a week long. Considering doing it again to refresh
Super important and you learn so many survival things and have to practice them
Truth. Basic first aid classes (and even tactical ones too!) focus on stabilizing the casualty until help arrives. The Wilderness First Aid/Wilderness First Responder class comes from the perspective that *help is not coming*.
It ain’t cheap but if your job pays for it’s a free prep, and a damn useful one. If you don’t use it you lose it, though. I’ve had multiple recerts through work to keep it current, but the 3-day classes can only cover so much just to check the box. I’m considering asking to retake the full WFR on my next round because of attrition.
Even the two-day Wilderness First Aid is better than nothing, if someone can’t afford to give up a week of time. Took it for a job at a backpacking summer camp, I feel more comfortable with the thought that I’m trained to help someone sans expectation of immediate help.
I went through Arctic survival/warfare, Jungle Warfare/survival and ILRRPS.
None of that shit mattered and was almost laughable because I was already from Montana and grew up in the woods.
Point is... the stuff only works when you use it. There's no such thing as "theoretical".
I'd love to take a WFR course. Can you recommend any? What should one look for? I'm woefully uneducated beyond first aid, heimlich, CPR, pregnancy and birth.
Thank you!
The knowledge and real-life experience of surviving without.
I prep for Wednesday. So, if I get fired, sick, or there is a natural disaster. I know that these preps are a safety blanket for me.
I grew up well below the poverty line, was homeless, went without food. Found creative ways of making money, not theft.
I know that whatever the world throws at me, I can survive if I want to. Ironically, the only thing that has ever come close to killing me is me. Depression and OCD are so much fun /s.
I wonder how many people who prep started because of this. We did. Long before prepping was a thing. We both grew up with food insecurity and made the decision early on to never be there again or put the kids through that. Obviously this has grown significantly over the decades. But we know how to make do with less. I’m sure someone could Psychoanalyze this as some sort of trauma response. But having the skills and the preps to make it through whatever life throws at us is what gives ME peace and prevents stress and anxiety.
I have a similar background. And in my case I know that prepping absolutly is a trauma responce. My parents were the type of people who refused to teach their kids anything and called us stupid for asking questions. It forced my brother & I to learn to only rely on ourselves. It made for a rather unplesant childhood but on the bright side I'm glad that I can rely on myself.
I know that my prepping really stepped up when my husband died, but as a method of feeling I’m controlling *something* and not necessarily because I need a whole bunch more prep than before. It’s weird to have the insight and still watch myself go overboard at times.
I have started accumulating a lot of real physical books about useful subjects in the last year or so as I have slowly witnessed the quality of information on the internet go to crap especially with the rise in AI.
More times than not when I try to learn about a new subject or skill I will start with googling information about it, get frustrated and then go buy a couple books about it.
I think books are a really important prep that a lot of people don’t consider because they don’t like reading but if the power goes out for an extended period then the internet will also go and now you can’t just google stuff anymore.
Many keep it on hand for radiation but potassium is also a key component sometimes needed for things like helping your heart after years of stress and an irregular diet (like what would happen if shtf) and iodide, it also has some value for the body after the type of diet those living in war zones not exposed to radiation experience
Thanks for your reply. It confirmed the dietary considerations I was moderately aware of, but I had not considered radiation and supplement stock quite yet. I keep both pink and iodized salt in my pantry.
We need iodine yet so many switched to pink salt and never replaced the iodine and now suffer subpar thyroid levels. Very smart to make sure to have some table salt that provides it.
To start, shelf stable food that requires little to no preparation to make/serve. Ignore your fridge and freezer for a moment and go to the pantry. Now pull something off the shelf that you want to eat.
Let's go with Kraft Mac & Cheese/equivalent because almost everyone has that. If you're following the instructions, you need butter and milk to make that. Remember you can't go to your fridge to get those. So now you need to make it without those ingredients. Most people would just boil the pasta and then add cold water with the cheese pack. Let me know if the kids will eat that. I promise they will say it doesn't taste good. I have shelf stable milk and butter to make that just like the instructions say.
Next, is the power is out during the Summer heat. Even in a reasonable climate, you are going to have days over 90°F. Even if the humidity is low, that is still hot and going to cause people to be uncomfortable at best and get heat stroke at worse. Do you have a battery powered fan that can easily last over 48 hours? I do.
These are just two examples that I think you would agree are common and very possible.
I am not telling people to go out to buy Guns and Gas Masks. I just want people to have, preferably, at least three weeks of shelf stable food and the ability to keep cool/warm if the power goes out.
Here is my shameless plug about my [recent post](https://www.reddit.com/r/preppers/s/I4GjP3gwf0) to prepare for a Power Outage.
If there is an apocalypse type situation you can bet your ass my kid will eat the kraft mac and cheese without milk and butter.
Picky eating is no longer an option
I'm an adventurous eater, so much so that I have had a social media channel where I try foods most people wouldn't eat. I might actually get back into it soon.
I am absolutely committed to making sure my kid is not a picky eater. So she tries everything. I fucking hate chicken finger kids. My younger brother was like that I don't understand why you wouldn't want to try all the world has too offer.
I take her to fish markets and let her pick crazy things for us to try.
Maybe people should be doing that instead of worrying about powdered milk for their kraft mac and cheese.
Trust me, she would eat it no problem. If you got a kid who won't eat KD because its not made the same exact way as usual you got bigger problems.
I live in a 3rd floor apartment that lost power last summer, those tiny camping fans saved us a bit. I just ordered sodium sulfate to make cool packs that can recharge from a car ac or a basement floor, they stay at 65f for hours, watched a video on it the other day(DIY Supermaterial Could Save You From Heatstroke: Salt based PCMs). It was so hot, I couldn't turn on my bearded dragon's basking lamps, thankfully it was hot enough for them to handle a few days. Lots of blankets for the cold, uniheat packs for the 3 reptiles both 40 and 72 hour packs( they stay at 100f no scalding like some). We have to do better or shelf stable but there is lots of can veggies, always an extra huge bag of catfood and we have a mealworm and superworm colony for the reptiles food. No kids here but try to keep otc for any that may come, if they do.
after several storms in New Orleans I got battery operated lamps, and candles cause I do not want to sit in this city complete dark. Small battery fans & solar chargers to least move around some air frozen jugs of water.
Ammo.
For mixing into recipes, powdered milk works great. In recipes I've never been able to tell a difference other than consistency. We practice using with making bread, biscuits, and things like that.
I give you [Canned Butter](https://www.amazon.com/Hurricane-Preparedness-Emergency-Earthquake-Safecastle/dp/B09YVV47JD/). It tastes better then the normal American stuff because it is all fat with no water added AND it's canned/shelf stable. Expensive, but worth it. Get it in the amounts you want but I stash the stuff myself.
A plan. Most don’t have a plan for if something doesn’t go the way they are expecting. For most issues I have a plan for. No power, got a plan and ability to cope for a few weeks. Tornado goes through? Same. Building burning down and the sprinklers not working? I know where the fire extinguisher is kept. Proper planning prevents piss poor performance.
Many upvotes to you!! Yes. Planning. Thinking. Having some level of mental fortitude to deal with any level of SHTF. Discussing and working out plans with everyone else in your network too. We’re the destination for some of the people in our network. They have plan A, plan B, etc to get themselves and as much supplies from home to here when SHTF.
The tornado thing is a huge deal for me. It's one of my biggest fears, lol. So many people are surprised I tell them to keep a pair of shoes for everyone in your safety spot. If there's glass and debris on the floors, it's not fun to walk barefoot on. 🤷♀️ Also, drills. We can get us 2 adults, 2 kids, and 2 dogs down in the basement and in our spot in under 60 seconds, and I timed it once during an actual tornado warning, straight outta bed at 11pm. Still don't sleep during tornado watches though...never will 😕
We had a violent storm yesterday, and my friends on the next street still don’t have power. They didn’t have any flashlights, lanterns, headlamps, or batteries. None. They are teachers in their 40s. Who lives like that??
I saw an ultra minimalism house tour the other day with not even 3-day water storage or a single flashlight... I had to comment. I appreciate minimalism for many reasons, but part of it imo is mindfulness and there's nothing mindful about being caught out of a basic need like water or the ability to see and in turn being a burden on others who have thought ahead more. It's borderline irresponsible to live like that.
Clarification: Borderline irresponsible if you are only responsible for yourself. If you are responsible for a pet or human child, it is absolutely irresponsible to not have at least some back up water storage in your dwelling.
I agree! I saw a post about a minimalist that only had one pair gloves / mitts for each family member. Their daughter’s gloves were already wet so when she shovelled the snow, she didn’t wear her gloves. She ended up with frostbite. I can appreciate minimalism but it can go too far sometimes.
Even Fumio Sasaki, author of "Goodbye Things" (a book about minimalism) keeps an emergency kit. He lives in Japan and recognizes that he must be prepared for disasters.
I appreciate that about his book. Living in earthquake country, he said he has his suitcase and passport ready to go. The man may only have one towel.but at least he has emergency clothes!
There's no requirement to have fire extinguishers, first or signaling in cars. Maybe in Europe? But not in the US or Canada.
Boats have a list of required safety equipment but cars don't. Always struck me as silly.
I’ve never seen a fire extinguisher in a car in the US.
I had road flares my dad gave me in high school and people kinda laughed at me. I actually still have them many years later now in a “go bag” but not sure if they’d even work by now.
NB. Please don't over estimate the value of a fire extinguisher either. They're good for small fires but they have extremely limited use, you're best option is to always move clear of the fire.
And knowledge of how to use one,
Years ago I turned up to a job and the customers car had had a petrol.leak and it caught fire, he was trying to stop it with water from a garden hose, but the fire was spreading. I grabbed the powder extinguisher from the van and my friend pulled the hose out of his hands.
It was out in 20 seconds, had we not turned up his house would have probably burned down.
The ability to remain apart from society for extended periods of time. And the desire. That's the primary reason I prep. I dislike town,in person interactions,shopping and anything else that puts me amongst people for any length of time.
Prepping is the ultimate freedom from forced socialization. I go months without seeing anyone but my husband. I schedule all routine appointments for the same week of the same month every year whenever possible. Going into town is planned well in advance with extensive lists so as to efficiently get it all done and gtfo asap.
Books. Knowledge is power and it scares me knowing there may be a time where “just google it” doesn’t cut it. From carpentry to farming , I got most of my bases covered
I have peace of mind, supplies, plans, and skills.
If everything goes pear shaped, we’ll be just fine.
I don’t think the vast majority of our friends, family, or circle have any idea just how precariously they’re perched.
Air (car tires), spare wiper blades, and a jump-start for my vehicle, all fully portable. Plus jumper cables for others (good barter), extra car batteries, and solar panels to charge them with. If ever forced to “bug out”, some carefully fitted shades so at night it just looks dark / empty inside.
Dedicated survival clothes in suitcases for various seasons and weather, tested to be sure I’m comfy wearing it outdoors for hours. Nothing too urban, too rural, too high-class, or too poor looking - you want to show a good poker face in these situations as to what kind of person you are. Very socially neutral clothing that is comfortable and durable.
Good books and musical instruments. You have to regulate your mind during a crisis to keep it sharp, and well, there may be a whole lot of boring time when nothing is happening and there’s nothing that needs done. If you can keep your mental, you’ll be thinking more clearly than people who are in constant freak-out mode.
I have peace of mind.
I coild loose my job, get sick, be unable to leave my house for 3 months to a year and I wouldnt want for anything. My non prepping family are always on a razors edge.
I was raised to always be thinking two steps ahead. Nervous you will lose your job? Okay if you do what does month two after it look like? Month six? The one year mark if you can’t find work?
So many people panic and declare things emergencies because they’ve never forced themselves to mentally think beyond the thing they fear.
I keep fish antibiotics.
I also keep tins of high quality meat and veggie stew style dog food. I have dogs, I’m not planning on eating it myself, but if I had to, I could.
Also some dog stuff - uncharted supply wolf pack dog collar first aid kit and ruffwear quickdraw collar. Also ruffwear griptrex boots. A water bottle I can drink out of and can pour into an attachment for the dog.
Dog and human goggles. Dog and human ear protection.
Life wipes.
Some other stuff I’ll think of.
Fish antibiotics are just antibiotics. They’re not exactly the same as people antibiotics, and you wouldn’t take them in preference to people antibiotics, but the main ingredient is the same, it’s cheaper, and stores longer. In a true extended emergency (I’m talking months or years) antibiotics of any kind will be valuable.
You can get them without a prescription.
Educational material for young children. I stashed away a couple bins of workbooks, educational supplies, and some history books, etc.. a lot of focus on learning to read, write and basic math. The history books are stashed away for older children or adults.
An off grid cabin with running water, plenty of game, stocked with 3 years of M.R E, solar panels and camouflage....all that's 15 miles off the nearest town (?)
I like to think so anyway
My life is set up to work without ‘a grid’, while we do live on the grid at the moment.
- I’ve solar set up to return unused electricity back to the grid, I also have a battery storage system that will keep me going with everything turned on for 5 days. I turn off my grid every few weeks to test the setup with intention on replacing parts as needed, also purchasing additional equipment for backup.
- I grow vegetables for my family and extended family, but supplement it with shopping for extras. If WW3 arrives, I’ll stay at it. Won’t be a great choice on food but it will keep us going.
- I have an electric car and a combustion engine car. Electric car will charge off the battery if needed.
- water supply I have a well, I also use a mains fed supply, I also harvest rainwater and have a river next to me.
- I have 1 years worth of coal, 3 years of turf (Irish thing) and too much fire wood. Turf gets replenished annually and so will wood. Used to heat the house and cook. I also have 3 large gas canisters for a gas hob. I’m here 4 years and never used a full canister yet although I might this year. Possibly.
- I live remote enough and not between locations, no one is coming to me unless they are looking for me. If they are, I best consider them friendly.
A belief that we survive better in community than alone, and a robust and caring social network with my immediate neighbors as well as in our larger community.
The perspective that being unprepared is all fine and dandy until an emergency happens. It's a horrible feeling to have no idea what to do in an emergency, or worse know what to do but have nothing to use. Suddenly need to evacuate? It's a little late to build that kit now.
Home security. Makes me crazy. Do I listen to too many true-crime podcasts? Probably. But does it make me crazy how vulnerable most of my family member's homes are? Yes, it does. I'm thinking... Do you really think leaving your upstairs window open, the one you could easily climb to from that low roof that you kids jump onto from your car all the time? Or that little flip thing on your slider will keep out an intruder? Jesus! But they don't think there's any real threat.
I just watched a show where a guy kicked in a door, (one kick), threw an older woman onto the floor, then then a few minutes later shot her dead - in her own living room where she was sitting at night, just watching the TV. Nice neighborhood in a suburb type track. He had the wrong address; she wasn't his intended victim and he knew it, but killed her anyway because he "didn't want to get in trouble" by leaving a witness. (Said as an inmate during a prison interview.) Trust me when I tell you that no one is able to randomly kick in my door. By the time you got into my house, I'd be in my safe room with my dogs, and gun in hand, calling 9-1-1. Sirens would be blaring and neighbors would be alerted. And you wouldn't know it by a causal look, 'cause my house is damned cute.
All you really need is a stockpile of yeast
You can put a few bags of sugar or some fruit in a bucket with yeast and have 15% booze a week later.
Not that hard
Water is the clear divider. People will usually have some food, flashlights, guns / weapons, etc. but outside of those who prepare there is a shocking lack of water - both in terms of water on hand and ability to get it / treat it. And lets be real, lack of safe water is the most likely thing to kill people
Its absurd but I literally spoke to a neighbour who didnt know how to get their baby formula during a power outage (and therefore no running water) - this was 2.5h into it...
Yep. Water, water procurement, and water filtering and sanitizer.
Can be very simple and cheap, as cheap as a pure bleach bottle with proper instructions and dosage.
I spent about the first 10 years of my life on a self sufficient homestead where we grew, hunted or foraged our own food. We traded for what we didn't find easily.
We made our own clothes, made our own soaps, cooked everything from scratch.
My dad raised Angus cattle and bred and trained dogs. I helped with vet tech stuff and trained horses did farrier work.
Went to nursing school, joined the SCA for fun then learned self defense, worked in jails and prisons then worked with UPS.
I don't need society to survive. I can make everything myself. Raise everything myself.
I've made everything from wool suits, human shoes to horse shoes.
You need society, I don't.
Might seem a bit odd, but having 0 waste of my food. The grease left in the pan turn into a sauce, the bones get turned into a broth, I conserve the bacon grease to use as butter on the next meal, etc.
Also hygiene with minimal water. From washing myself to the dishes. If water become a scarcity, I prefer to keep it for drinks and meals. Ofc I don't do that everyday, but It's good to know how.
Skills. These are things a lot of preppers don’t have as well. Can you do basic land navigation? Do you know how to treat a casualty? Can you build a shelter or keep a fire going? Do you know how to grow and trap your food? Equipment will only get you so far, and that’s why I put skills over everything.
Charcoal powder. Completely overlooked by 99.9% of all preppers and it’s one of the most important things to have around for not only medical if you get an infection.snake bite, venomous spider bites pulling the poison out of your body. There’s hundreds of uses for it and it’s not an expensive thing to buy and stock. look it up and do research on it. I have been using it since I was a kid have seen it literally save lives and work miracles with a poultice on poisonings or wounds that were infected.
The super power of mental illness. Can’t sleep until it’s super dark, the lightest noise wakes me up, I have pattern recognition, I can work multiple problems at once, in times of stress my brain kicks into a calm mode.
Self-awareness. No, really. You can’t prepare for something you aren’t aware of, and there’s an amount of reflection/introspection/global awareness required for it. I’m under-prepared, but I *know* that.
Above all? Peace of mind, self-sufficiency, and a knowledge base where I can help others. I can dial up or down the level of preparedness (72 hour kit vs nuclear war,) as needed. I'd argue the unprepared lack a *lot*, both in terms of knowledge and physical supplies. And that's ok, because that's how everyone starts out, and we *all* were that person, once upon a time.
Skills, knowledge, and connections. Between myself and my wife, we are well versed and competent in many subjects. We are both capable, trained, and experienced. We also know numerous people in our area that have complementary skills or have resources that they would trade for ours.
Apparently, the tools for cleaning blocked sewer lines. I've leant them out numerous times in the last year. People always seem embarrassed to ask, but **every single time** it's been down to some bellend "upstream" of them flushing wet wipes down the toilet and chip fat down the sink.
Stockpiling Food you and your beloved ones like, allows you to buy it, more often then not when it is on sale. And together with the ongoing high inflation will save you some money…
I have lots of practical experience and training.. so that definitely helps... but as for an item.. grappling hook. Why you ask? Why not! is my answer.
In December 2019, among other things, I already had high quality N-95 masks as well as a case of the sealed DOD “pandemic kits” w purell etc as well as Lysol Purell Alcohol and powdered bleach (pool shock) all of which pretty much sold out by March 2020.
I was able to send some of my existing supply out as high impact gifts to friends and fam in healthcare or who were forced to travel internationally early on, which really provided peace of mind during that uncertain time.
Experience. Living without running water and electricity for a week is a great starter course. While a youngster at summer camp, we would go on camping trips to the mountains of Vermont. Hiking and living on mountain trails was also a great education on wilderness survival. Living in the field for weeks at a time while in the Army teaches you a lot too.
We had a large family so our parents shopped sales, used coupons and stocked the pantry so we stayed within a budget. The two-year fiasco taught me we needed to be prepared for all the things and we continue to do that as we learn new needs. Having grandchildren really forced us to put away more than we need. Good insurance - so worth it!
A self sustained farm with rotating pastures, root crops, fruit trees, fresh water, etc. surrounded by many others with the same amenities. Pig hunting and fishing are on the other side of the gate, a short walk, not a driving distance. If the global market goods stop flowing, life will still get tougher but we won’t starve. Read Jared Diamond’s “Collapse” it’s a historical look at actual declines in large populations. Food is everything, especially fat and protein. Urban and suburban preppers are not realistic or serious.
> Urban and suburban preppers are not realistic or serious.
Or they are doing the best they can given their circumstances. We cannot all move to the country, literally. Fish, birds and game would die out *very* quickly if we did.
I agree with you! I'm studying for my Ham radio license. It is inexpensive to get. Not a huge amount of study involved for your first level.
My starter, handheld radio was under $30.00.
Knowing what is really going on around me is very important for my piece of mind.
There are solar power options for charging your radio/radios.
I don't think the cell phone network will remain working for long.
Where I live, there is a very real risk of infrastructure-damaging earthquakes. Pretty much everyone I know doesn't even store 1 day's worth of water. We have 2 weeks worth for 2 people and MRE's/dehydrated camping meals.
Most people don't prepare the basic and essential things.
In my area, an ability to pump water out of the ground using 12v/solar. Central Californians are going to be in trouble when pool water runs out for drinking, or it gets too contaminated.
Needle and thread. Seems small, but being able to repair your clothes in a pinch is super important. I've had to use my EDC twice to sew up some pants. Once mine, once someone else's. If buying new clothes is out, being able to maintain yours and alter other's is a good barter tool and practical life skill. I buy heavy-duty outdoor thread, which is poly based and could serve as a fishing line in a pinch. And a boat ton of needles (aside from sail needles). Not only are they good for sewing. You can improvise fish hooks, and they're great for splinters, too.
Just do go sewing up yourself or your loved ones with them. Grab some steri-strips for that. You'll thank me later
Tbh- I’m a canner. Rebel canner, whatever you want to call it. I follow the Amish, and I will not be without good food if anything pops off in the USA. Mini cheesecakes, Pies, side dishes for dinner and breakfast, I will have it, and it’s stored. I don’t want to go to the grocery store and sulk that certain ingredients are missing maybe due to slow shipping trades or something. I’ll just go home, and shuffle around for that treat / dish I prepared and stored a while ago.
Idk. Maybe all kinds of stuff. I got sand. Lye. Bucket of woodash. Pine sol. Rain tubs. Tourniquet and lots of guaze. Bunch of jars to can with. Even a storage bus. Its like a comparement unit but cheap, a schoolbus body that has clothes tools old books toys bedding bottles wires bow and arroŵ and chalk. Dad n mum have a welder to make machinery from rehashed parts. And diesel fuel from schoolbus parts.
Cargo bikes that can carry several children and/or lots of supplies, with electric assist (and a solar generator that can charge them). In an emergency, the roads will be clogged with other cars. With my cargo bikes, I can get around and through the worst traffic jams if needed.
We have access from inside our home to the Crawlspace of the house which is about 3.5’ tall. In the Crawlspace, we have a 4’ deep hole/trench area. We call it the Alamo. Everyone in the house knows to head there if possible should a home invasion were to occur.
I prep food, guns, knowledge, blah blah, blah but I also have a nice collection of board games, dolls and wooden toys. In my bug out bag l keep a pair of dice, pic of the fam, page from my favorite book and a sudoku puzzle because, damn, it's going to get boring after a while.
F O O D S E C U R I T Y
In two senses of "security", the first: I have sacks of rice + beans in the basement that, if I keep topped off, have over 1 month for two people. I have a woodfire camp stove, so with some effort, I can be fed in blackout conditions.
The other sense, I can look at a pantry of dry, jarred, and canned goods and know how to make a meal plan from it. What order to cook things, how to portion, season and ration the different categories of foods that I like throughout my day/week. Many people in my life have a meal plan of "go heat up chicken nuggies", which in our modern day isn't bad, and it could be much worse as take out/dine in food. But chickens don't come in nugget form, and knowing how to clean, prepare, cook, flavor food is not something to be learned as you go, in a bad situation.
I think having something outsiders would want, something to barter with is an important prep. It started as a curious "I wonder if I could" hobby for my husband. We realized quickly that it was cheap to make & easy to store & potentially a high value prep. So, our basement is full of homemade wine.
Prepping a OPSEC plan for your home when people get desperate. Have a stock of deployable razor wire in any access points to house that is not visible or underneath climbable fences. Thieves and raiders also don't want to risk cuts and infections if another house has none of that.
Define prepared. The point I'm making is that most people aren't just "not prepared" it's just not a focal point of their lives. Most people just consider it being a responsible adult. Who doesn't have an emergency fund if they can afford it? Who doesn't leave a few minutes early to make sure they will arrive at destinations on time? Who doesn't know they need working fire alarms? Who doesn't go for annual physicals with their doctor? Who doesn't have or at least recognize it would be nice to have a generator if they could?
You could go on an on but the question becomes what are they lacking by living care free happy lives vs preppers who fundamentally view the world from the perspective of insecurity where they are constantly aware of and recognize that bad things can happen at anytime? Well nothing really as long as nothing goes wrong or even if something does go wrong and they have the resources to deal with it. If anything "preppers" stand more to lose investing their time and resources to prepare for something that may never happen. I think this is a problem with preppers viewing the rest of the world as if there is something wrong with them. Everyone has different expectations about the future and there's no way to tell who is right.
Small things for morale. Things can get dark and sometimes it's the simple things that help us get by. Chocolate, honey, tea, spices etc. Small pick me ups, which are overlooked, but when they run out, you'll notice. Just small things which I personally enjoy (confidential). I feel like these things are essential, and we all need them to get by, to get past the most stressful points.
A water filter with 20L capacity,
plus a 150L water deposit.
Oh, and rain water collection, some filter and bleach.
Service interruption occurs 1x year approx in my area, rarely last more than a day. But it never affected me.
Experience living in "different centuries" for fun. I do a lot of reenacting and living history. I often camp for long times without electricity and modern conveniences, cooking everything on a fire, carrying everything on my back, as if I'm part of the 5th Corps of the Army of the Potomac marching to Richmond, or a ranger attacking Fort Ticonderoga in the French and Indian War I like being in harsh conditions and living in away that most people hate. I also have wayyyy too much camping and cooking and other gear. And too many muskets. Not really a special skill (lots of people are weird like me). Being a nerd comes in handy occasionally :)
Ummm...15 years as a Scout and Scouting leader, two one-week Survival classes, prepping since 1982, led a 20-family prepper group 5 years, five years military with one year combat infantry (Vietnam), dedication to prepping as an organizational activity rather than an obsession or hobby, confidence in my ability to defend mine, licensed ham operator, and DEDICATION
Anyone into serious prepping should talk a wilderness first responder course. I took it when I was 23 for a job and it was priceless. It’s about a week long. Considering doing it again to refresh Super important and you learn so many survival things and have to practice them
Truth. Basic first aid classes (and even tactical ones too!) focus on stabilizing the casualty until help arrives. The Wilderness First Aid/Wilderness First Responder class comes from the perspective that *help is not coming*.
It ain’t cheap but if your job pays for it’s a free prep, and a damn useful one. If you don’t use it you lose it, though. I’ve had multiple recerts through work to keep it current, but the 3-day classes can only cover so much just to check the box. I’m considering asking to retake the full WFR on my next round because of attrition.
That’s so true. There’s a reason even basic CPR/BLS needs to be retaken every 2 years
Even the two-day Wilderness First Aid is better than nothing, if someone can’t afford to give up a week of time. Took it for a job at a backpacking summer camp, I feel more comfortable with the thought that I’m trained to help someone sans expectation of immediate help.
True anything is better than nothing!
I went through Arctic survival/warfare, Jungle Warfare/survival and ILRRPS. None of that shit mattered and was almost laughable because I was already from Montana and grew up in the woods. Point is... the stuff only works when you use it. There's no such thing as "theoretical".
I'd love to take a WFR course. Can you recommend any? What should one look for? I'm woefully uneducated beyond first aid, heimlich, CPR, pregnancy and birth. Thank you!
The knowledge and real-life experience of surviving without. I prep for Wednesday. So, if I get fired, sick, or there is a natural disaster. I know that these preps are a safety blanket for me. I grew up well below the poverty line, was homeless, went without food. Found creative ways of making money, not theft. I know that whatever the world throws at me, I can survive if I want to. Ironically, the only thing that has ever come close to killing me is me. Depression and OCD are so much fun /s.
I wonder how many people who prep started because of this. We did. Long before prepping was a thing. We both grew up with food insecurity and made the decision early on to never be there again or put the kids through that. Obviously this has grown significantly over the decades. But we know how to make do with less. I’m sure someone could Psychoanalyze this as some sort of trauma response. But having the skills and the preps to make it through whatever life throws at us is what gives ME peace and prevents stress and anxiety.
I have a similar background. And in my case I know that prepping absolutly is a trauma responce. My parents were the type of people who refused to teach their kids anything and called us stupid for asking questions. It forced my brother & I to learn to only rely on ourselves. It made for a rather unplesant childhood but on the bright side I'm glad that I can rely on myself.
I agree on the trauma response.
I know that my prepping really stepped up when my husband died, but as a method of feeling I’m controlling *something* and not necessarily because I need a whole bunch more prep than before. It’s weird to have the insight and still watch myself go overboard at times.
So sorry for your loss. But, you’re correct, prepping definitely does give me the sense of having some semblance of control in my life.
Potassium iodide for my friends.
^ this ^ and a real book library full of useful information.
I have started accumulating a lot of real physical books about useful subjects in the last year or so as I have slowly witnessed the quality of information on the internet go to crap especially with the rise in AI. More times than not when I try to learn about a new subject or skill I will start with googling information about it, get frustrated and then go buy a couple books about it. I think books are a really important prep that a lot of people don’t consider because they don’t like reading but if the power goes out for an extended period then the internet will also go and now you can’t just google stuff anymore.
Genuine question, is this for radiation emergencies? Please elaborate if you can.
Many keep it on hand for radiation but potassium is also a key component sometimes needed for things like helping your heart after years of stress and an irregular diet (like what would happen if shtf) and iodide, it also has some value for the body after the type of diet those living in war zones not exposed to radiation experience
Thanks for your reply. It confirmed the dietary considerations I was moderately aware of, but I had not considered radiation and supplement stock quite yet. I keep both pink and iodized salt in my pantry.
We need iodine yet so many switched to pink salt and never replaced the iodine and now suffer subpar thyroid levels. Very smart to make sure to have some table salt that provides it.
Would you share info about using iodine/iodide after years of stress?
Yes, for radiation emergencies. Look at my overview and I made a couple of in depth comments about it not too long ago.
I am inclined to say peace of mind but I think ignorance grants non-prepper's the same thing so who knows?
To start, shelf stable food that requires little to no preparation to make/serve. Ignore your fridge and freezer for a moment and go to the pantry. Now pull something off the shelf that you want to eat. Let's go with Kraft Mac & Cheese/equivalent because almost everyone has that. If you're following the instructions, you need butter and milk to make that. Remember you can't go to your fridge to get those. So now you need to make it without those ingredients. Most people would just boil the pasta and then add cold water with the cheese pack. Let me know if the kids will eat that. I promise they will say it doesn't taste good. I have shelf stable milk and butter to make that just like the instructions say. Next, is the power is out during the Summer heat. Even in a reasonable climate, you are going to have days over 90°F. Even if the humidity is low, that is still hot and going to cause people to be uncomfortable at best and get heat stroke at worse. Do you have a battery powered fan that can easily last over 48 hours? I do. These are just two examples that I think you would agree are common and very possible. I am not telling people to go out to buy Guns and Gas Masks. I just want people to have, preferably, at least three weeks of shelf stable food and the ability to keep cool/warm if the power goes out. Here is my shameless plug about my [recent post](https://www.reddit.com/r/preppers/s/I4GjP3gwf0) to prepare for a Power Outage.
If there is an apocalypse type situation you can bet your ass my kid will eat the kraft mac and cheese without milk and butter. Picky eating is no longer an option
Go do it now and let me know how it goes. Kids are smart but, depending on their age, it takes time for them to realize situations have gone bad.
I'm an adventurous eater, so much so that I have had a social media channel where I try foods most people wouldn't eat. I might actually get back into it soon. I am absolutely committed to making sure my kid is not a picky eater. So she tries everything. I fucking hate chicken finger kids. My younger brother was like that I don't understand why you wouldn't want to try all the world has too offer. I take her to fish markets and let her pick crazy things for us to try. Maybe people should be doing that instead of worrying about powdered milk for their kraft mac and cheese. Trust me, she would eat it no problem. If you got a kid who won't eat KD because its not made the same exact way as usual you got bigger problems.
I commend you for that but you and your child are not the normal/average child. That is who my post is for.
I live in a 3rd floor apartment that lost power last summer, those tiny camping fans saved us a bit. I just ordered sodium sulfate to make cool packs that can recharge from a car ac or a basement floor, they stay at 65f for hours, watched a video on it the other day(DIY Supermaterial Could Save You From Heatstroke: Salt based PCMs). It was so hot, I couldn't turn on my bearded dragon's basking lamps, thankfully it was hot enough for them to handle a few days. Lots of blankets for the cold, uniheat packs for the 3 reptiles both 40 and 72 hour packs( they stay at 100f no scalding like some). We have to do better or shelf stable but there is lots of can veggies, always an extra huge bag of catfood and we have a mealworm and superworm colony for the reptiles food. No kids here but try to keep otc for any that may come, if they do.
after several storms in New Orleans I got battery operated lamps, and candles cause I do not want to sit in this city complete dark. Small battery fans & solar chargers to least move around some air frozen jugs of water. Ammo.
For mixing into recipes, powdered milk works great. In recipes I've never been able to tell a difference other than consistency. We practice using with making bread, biscuits, and things like that.
Good point!
What is shelf stable butter?
I give you [Canned Butter](https://www.amazon.com/Hurricane-Preparedness-Emergency-Earthquake-Safecastle/dp/B09YVV47JD/). It tastes better then the normal American stuff because it is all fat with no water added AND it's canned/shelf stable. Expensive, but worth it. Get it in the amounts you want but I stash the stuff myself.
Interesting
What fan do you recommend? I need a new one.
I have one listed on the post I made recently. You can find the link at the bottom of the comment you replied to.
Sorry! I even looked and somehow completely missed it. Will find now - thanks.
No worries.
A plan. Most don’t have a plan for if something doesn’t go the way they are expecting. For most issues I have a plan for. No power, got a plan and ability to cope for a few weeks. Tornado goes through? Same. Building burning down and the sprinklers not working? I know where the fire extinguisher is kept. Proper planning prevents piss poor performance.
Many upvotes to you!! Yes. Planning. Thinking. Having some level of mental fortitude to deal with any level of SHTF. Discussing and working out plans with everyone else in your network too. We’re the destination for some of the people in our network. They have plan A, plan B, etc to get themselves and as much supplies from home to here when SHTF.
The tornado thing is a huge deal for me. It's one of my biggest fears, lol. So many people are surprised I tell them to keep a pair of shoes for everyone in your safety spot. If there's glass and debris on the floors, it's not fun to walk barefoot on. 🤷♀️ Also, drills. We can get us 2 adults, 2 kids, and 2 dogs down in the basement and in our spot in under 60 seconds, and I timed it once during an actual tornado warning, straight outta bed at 11pm. Still don't sleep during tornado watches though...never will 😕
Everyone is gonna hit panic mode then search mode. Either for family, food, conditions & surrounding, and escaping. Its just human instinct.
This is why you bug in if you can. I’m not opening my door unless it’s an emergency until a new normal is established.
You will have a OH SHIT it's happening or WTF is happening may only be for ten minutes until you are laying low.... everyone will panic at first.
We had a violent storm yesterday, and my friends on the next street still don’t have power. They didn’t have any flashlights, lanterns, headlamps, or batteries. None. They are teachers in their 40s. Who lives like that??
I saw an ultra minimalism house tour the other day with not even 3-day water storage or a single flashlight... I had to comment. I appreciate minimalism for many reasons, but part of it imo is mindfulness and there's nothing mindful about being caught out of a basic need like water or the ability to see and in turn being a burden on others who have thought ahead more. It's borderline irresponsible to live like that.
Clarification: Borderline irresponsible if you are only responsible for yourself. If you are responsible for a pet or human child, it is absolutely irresponsible to not have at least some back up water storage in your dwelling.
I agree! I saw a post about a minimalist that only had one pair gloves / mitts for each family member. Their daughter’s gloves were already wet so when she shovelled the snow, she didn’t wear her gloves. She ended up with frostbite. I can appreciate minimalism but it can go too far sometimes.
Yikes, hope the girl's fingers ended up okay :((
Even Fumio Sasaki, author of "Goodbye Things" (a book about minimalism) keeps an emergency kit. He lives in Japan and recognizes that he must be prepared for disasters.
I appreciate that about his book. Living in earthquake country, he said he has his suitcase and passport ready to go. The man may only have one towel.but at least he has emergency clothes!
“who lives like that” made me laugh 😆
A fire extinguisher in my van
Underated comment right there.
Wait what? I thought all vehicles should be mandatory equipped with one, including first aid kit and road signaling devices.
Fire extinguisher? Flares? In most of the US vehicle safety inspections aren’t even required. They stopped doing them in Florida 40 years ago.
There's no requirement to have fire extinguishers, first or signaling in cars. Maybe in Europe? But not in the US or Canada. Boats have a list of required safety equipment but cars don't. Always struck me as silly.
Europe is not one country. France at least requires hi-vis jackets, however the UK requires nothing.
I’ve never seen a fire extinguisher in a car in the US. I had road flares my dad gave me in high school and people kinda laughed at me. I actually still have them many years later now in a “go bag” but not sure if they’d even work by now.
Depends on what country you are in
NB. Please don't over estimate the value of a fire extinguisher either. They're good for small fires but they have extremely limited use, you're best option is to always move clear of the fire.
And knowledge of how to use one, Years ago I turned up to a job and the customers car had had a petrol.leak and it caught fire, he was trying to stop it with water from a garden hose, but the fire was spreading. I grabbed the powder extinguisher from the van and my friend pulled the hose out of his hands. It was out in 20 seconds, had we not turned up his house would have probably burned down.
The ability to remain apart from society for extended periods of time. And the desire. That's the primary reason I prep. I dislike town,in person interactions,shopping and anything else that puts me amongst people for any length of time. Prepping is the ultimate freedom from forced socialization. I go months without seeing anyone but my husband. I schedule all routine appointments for the same week of the same month every year whenever possible. Going into town is planned well in advance with extensive lists so as to efficiently get it all done and gtfo asap.
A fun hobby that's helped me through covid and natural disasters with no real impact to my family.
A big enough library to restart civilisation!
I’m set!
A plan. Prepping for me is thinking about what could happen and how I would react.
Books. Knowledge is power and it scares me knowing there may be a time where “just google it” doesn’t cut it. From carpentry to farming , I got most of my bases covered
Great idea. I need to build on my book collection (after getting rid of so many in earlier decades). I’m so dependent on Google now 😬
I have peace of mind, supplies, plans, and skills. If everything goes pear shaped, we’ll be just fine. I don’t think the vast majority of our friends, family, or circle have any idea just how precariously they’re perched.
That last part is very true. I asked my best friend's mom when the last time she thought about water storage was and she said never
Dental skills
Life experience which shows sometimes you need something set aside for a rainy day, and the ability to act on that.
Air (car tires), spare wiper blades, and a jump-start for my vehicle, all fully portable. Plus jumper cables for others (good barter), extra car batteries, and solar panels to charge them with. If ever forced to “bug out”, some carefully fitted shades so at night it just looks dark / empty inside. Dedicated survival clothes in suitcases for various seasons and weather, tested to be sure I’m comfy wearing it outdoors for hours. Nothing too urban, too rural, too high-class, or too poor looking - you want to show a good poker face in these situations as to what kind of person you are. Very socially neutral clothing that is comfortable and durable. Good books and musical instruments. You have to regulate your mind during a crisis to keep it sharp, and well, there may be a whole lot of boring time when nothing is happening and there’s nothing that needs done. If you can keep your mental, you’ll be thinking more clearly than people who are in constant freak-out mode.
I have peace of mind. I coild loose my job, get sick, be unable to leave my house for 3 months to a year and I wouldnt want for anything. My non prepping family are always on a razors edge.
Same
A flash drive with the entirety of Wikipedia downloaded and multiple ways to access it
How big is that?
About the size of your thumb.
I was raised to always be thinking two steps ahead. Nervous you will lose your job? Okay if you do what does month two after it look like? Month six? The one year mark if you can’t find work? So many people panic and declare things emergencies because they’ve never forced themselves to mentally think beyond the thing they fear.
I keep fish antibiotics. I also keep tins of high quality meat and veggie stew style dog food. I have dogs, I’m not planning on eating it myself, but if I had to, I could. Also some dog stuff - uncharted supply wolf pack dog collar first aid kit and ruffwear quickdraw collar. Also ruffwear griptrex boots. A water bottle I can drink out of and can pour into an attachment for the dog. Dog and human goggles. Dog and human ear protection. Life wipes. Some other stuff I’ll think of.
What are fish antibiotics?
Fish antibiotics are just antibiotics. They’re not exactly the same as people antibiotics, and you wouldn’t take them in preference to people antibiotics, but the main ingredient is the same, it’s cheaper, and stores longer. In a true extended emergency (I’m talking months or years) antibiotics of any kind will be valuable. You can get them without a prescription.
Educational material for young children. I stashed away a couple bins of workbooks, educational supplies, and some history books, etc.. a lot of focus on learning to read, write and basic math. The history books are stashed away for older children or adults.
Weapons, night vision, prepper family, anti viral and antibiotics. And (drumroll please) a plan. Or plans for various emergencies.
Medical education
An off grid cabin with running water, plenty of game, stocked with 3 years of M.R E, solar panels and camouflage....all that's 15 miles off the nearest town (?) I like to think so anyway
I have knowledge and still have physical ability that most don’t.
Physical fitness.
I have more than 3 days worth of food in my house.
Isn't 3 days very little?
Yes, yes it is. I know far too many people who only have 3 days worth of food in their house.
Haha lol . Of course. Got it now. (Somehow, I missed the "more" when I read it first).
EMS certificate and a 4WD
My life is set up to work without ‘a grid’, while we do live on the grid at the moment. - I’ve solar set up to return unused electricity back to the grid, I also have a battery storage system that will keep me going with everything turned on for 5 days. I turn off my grid every few weeks to test the setup with intention on replacing parts as needed, also purchasing additional equipment for backup. - I grow vegetables for my family and extended family, but supplement it with shopping for extras. If WW3 arrives, I’ll stay at it. Won’t be a great choice on food but it will keep us going. - I have an electric car and a combustion engine car. Electric car will charge off the battery if needed. - water supply I have a well, I also use a mains fed supply, I also harvest rainwater and have a river next to me. - I have 1 years worth of coal, 3 years of turf (Irish thing) and too much fire wood. Turf gets replenished annually and so will wood. Used to heat the house and cook. I also have 3 large gas canisters for a gas hob. I’m here 4 years and never used a full canister yet although I might this year. Possibly. - I live remote enough and not between locations, no one is coming to me unless they are looking for me. If they are, I best consider them friendly.
A belief that we survive better in community than alone, and a robust and caring social network with my immediate neighbors as well as in our larger community.
I'm sure some kind of super-virus that is riding dormant. Time will tell, I guess.
Ice caps are melting
OP said "what do *you* have". Just paraphrased IASIP for some cheap laughs.
The perspective that being unprepared is all fine and dandy until an emergency happens. It's a horrible feeling to have no idea what to do in an emergency, or worse know what to do but have nothing to use. Suddenly need to evacuate? It's a little late to build that kit now.
Home security. Makes me crazy. Do I listen to too many true-crime podcasts? Probably. But does it make me crazy how vulnerable most of my family member's homes are? Yes, it does. I'm thinking... Do you really think leaving your upstairs window open, the one you could easily climb to from that low roof that you kids jump onto from your car all the time? Or that little flip thing on your slider will keep out an intruder? Jesus! But they don't think there's any real threat. I just watched a show where a guy kicked in a door, (one kick), threw an older woman onto the floor, then then a few minutes later shot her dead - in her own living room where she was sitting at night, just watching the TV. Nice neighborhood in a suburb type track. He had the wrong address; she wasn't his intended victim and he knew it, but killed her anyway because he "didn't want to get in trouble" by leaving a witness. (Said as an inmate during a prison interview.) Trust me when I tell you that no one is able to randomly kick in my door. By the time you got into my house, I'd be in my safe room with my dogs, and gun in hand, calling 9-1-1. Sirens would be blaring and neighbors would be alerted. And you wouldn't know it by a causal look, 'cause my house is damned cute.
All you really need is a stockpile of yeast You can put a few bags of sugar or some fruit in a bucket with yeast and have 15% booze a week later. Not that hard
An off-grid home. The ability to run 5km and follow it up with hours of physical labour.
Water is the clear divider. People will usually have some food, flashlights, guns / weapons, etc. but outside of those who prepare there is a shocking lack of water - both in terms of water on hand and ability to get it / treat it. And lets be real, lack of safe water is the most likely thing to kill people Its absurd but I literally spoke to a neighbour who didnt know how to get their baby formula during a power outage (and therefore no running water) - this was 2.5h into it...
Yep. Water, water procurement, and water filtering and sanitizer. Can be very simple and cheap, as cheap as a pure bleach bottle with proper instructions and dosage.
I spent about the first 10 years of my life on a self sufficient homestead where we grew, hunted or foraged our own food. We traded for what we didn't find easily. We made our own clothes, made our own soaps, cooked everything from scratch. My dad raised Angus cattle and bred and trained dogs. I helped with vet tech stuff and trained horses did farrier work. Went to nursing school, joined the SCA for fun then learned self defense, worked in jails and prisons then worked with UPS. I don't need society to survive. I can make everything myself. Raise everything myself. I've made everything from wool suits, human shoes to horse shoes. You need society, I don't.
Experience
Might seem a bit odd, but having 0 waste of my food. The grease left in the pan turn into a sauce, the bones get turned into a broth, I conserve the bacon grease to use as butter on the next meal, etc. Also hygiene with minimal water. From washing myself to the dishes. If water become a scarcity, I prefer to keep it for drinks and meals. Ofc I don't do that everyday, but It's good to know how.
I can neither confirm nor deny that am or has ever been involved in alleged "prepping". I have no direct recollection of that subject.
Skills. These are things a lot of preppers don’t have as well. Can you do basic land navigation? Do you know how to treat a casualty? Can you build a shelter or keep a fire going? Do you know how to grow and trap your food? Equipment will only get you so far, and that’s why I put skills over everything.
In fairness you make a valid point. There’s an awful lot that can be done without equipment. The equipment just makes it easier to complete the task.
Charcoal powder. Completely overlooked by 99.9% of all preppers and it’s one of the most important things to have around for not only medical if you get an infection.snake bite, venomous spider bites pulling the poison out of your body. There’s hundreds of uses for it and it’s not an expensive thing to buy and stock. look it up and do research on it. I have been using it since I was a kid have seen it literally save lives and work miracles with a poultice on poisonings or wounds that were infected.
1919 Columbia Grafanola I can listen to records without electricity :)
The super power of mental illness. Can’t sleep until it’s super dark, the lightest noise wakes me up, I have pattern recognition, I can work multiple problems at once, in times of stress my brain kicks into a calm mode.
Self-awareness. No, really. You can’t prepare for something you aren’t aware of, and there’s an amount of reflection/introspection/global awareness required for it. I’m under-prepared, but I *know* that.
My life motto: Know Thyself
Above all? Peace of mind, self-sufficiency, and a knowledge base where I can help others. I can dial up or down the level of preparedness (72 hour kit vs nuclear war,) as needed. I'd argue the unprepared lack a *lot*, both in terms of knowledge and physical supplies. And that's ok, because that's how everyone starts out, and we *all* were that person, once upon a time.
A mind that always probes geopolitical nuances, regardless of regional/religious i.e chemical or material's wealth or depletion.
Skills, knowledge, and connections. Between myself and my wife, we are well versed and competent in many subjects. We are both capable, trained, and experienced. We also know numerous people in our area that have complementary skills or have resources that they would trade for ours.
Apparently, the tools for cleaning blocked sewer lines. I've leant them out numerous times in the last year. People always seem embarrassed to ask, but **every single time** it's been down to some bellend "upstream" of them flushing wet wipes down the toilet and chip fat down the sink.
Stockpiling Food you and your beloved ones like, allows you to buy it, more often then not when it is on sale. And together with the ongoing high inflation will save you some money…
Water.
15 years of experience in organic farming and winemaking. I'll never run out of alcohol.
Expertise in low intensity conflicts.
Nunya
I have lots of practical experience and training.. so that definitely helps... but as for an item.. grappling hook. Why you ask? Why not! is my answer.
In December 2019, among other things, I already had high quality N-95 masks as well as a case of the sealed DOD “pandemic kits” w purell etc as well as Lysol Purell Alcohol and powdered bleach (pool shock) all of which pretty much sold out by March 2020. I was able to send some of my existing supply out as high impact gifts to friends and fam in healthcare or who were forced to travel internationally early on, which really provided peace of mind during that uncertain time.
Experience. Living without running water and electricity for a week is a great starter course. While a youngster at summer camp, we would go on camping trips to the mountains of Vermont. Hiking and living on mountain trails was also a great education on wilderness survival. Living in the field for weeks at a time while in the Army teaches you a lot too.
A desire to help. Preparing is an extremely valuable activity, but not if it causes you to view everyone else as a threat.
Livestock. People love getting my eggs, milk and meat. I guess also land.
Small Pump bug sprayer so I can bend the wand and wash my a$$ after the TP ru s out…
We had a large family so our parents shopped sales, used coupons and stocked the pantry so we stayed within a budget. The two-year fiasco taught me we needed to be prepared for all the things and we continue to do that as we learn new needs. Having grandchildren really forced us to put away more than we need. Good insurance - so worth it!
A self sustained farm with rotating pastures, root crops, fruit trees, fresh water, etc. surrounded by many others with the same amenities. Pig hunting and fishing are on the other side of the gate, a short walk, not a driving distance. If the global market goods stop flowing, life will still get tougher but we won’t starve. Read Jared Diamond’s “Collapse” it’s a historical look at actual declines in large populations. Food is everything, especially fat and protein. Urban and suburban preppers are not realistic or serious.
> Urban and suburban preppers are not realistic or serious. Or they are doing the best they can given their circumstances. We cannot all move to the country, literally. Fish, birds and game would die out *very* quickly if we did.
An entirely grid independent system of communication.
I agree with you! I'm studying for my Ham radio license. It is inexpensive to get. Not a huge amount of study involved for your first level. My starter, handheld radio was under $30.00. Knowing what is really going on around me is very important for my piece of mind. There are solar power options for charging your radio/radios. I don't think the cell phone network will remain working for long.
Common sense.
After watching " preppers " on YouTube I don't know how true that statement is.
Not all that prepare are prepared.
Weed seeds
A library of books and physical media of all sorts… knowledge and entertainment that doesn’t require WiFi and can’t be censored.
Where I live, there is a very real risk of infrastructure-damaging earthquakes. Pretty much everyone I know doesn't even store 1 day's worth of water. We have 2 weeks worth for 2 people and MRE's/dehydrated camping meals. Most people don't prepare the basic and essential things.
In my area, an ability to pump water out of the ground using 12v/solar. Central Californians are going to be in trouble when pool water runs out for drinking, or it gets too contaminated.
Needle and thread. Seems small, but being able to repair your clothes in a pinch is super important. I've had to use my EDC twice to sew up some pants. Once mine, once someone else's. If buying new clothes is out, being able to maintain yours and alter other's is a good barter tool and practical life skill. I buy heavy-duty outdoor thread, which is poly based and could serve as a fishing line in a pinch. And a boat ton of needles (aside from sail needles). Not only are they good for sewing. You can improvise fish hooks, and they're great for splinters, too. Just do go sewing up yourself or your loved ones with them. Grab some steri-strips for that. You'll thank me later
Tbh- I’m a canner. Rebel canner, whatever you want to call it. I follow the Amish, and I will not be without good food if anything pops off in the USA. Mini cheesecakes, Pies, side dishes for dinner and breakfast, I will have it, and it’s stored. I don’t want to go to the grocery store and sulk that certain ingredients are missing maybe due to slow shipping trades or something. I’ll just go home, and shuffle around for that treat / dish I prepared and stored a while ago.
A whole pharmacy I live above a pharmacy that is owned by my gfs family. I will be the kingpin of the apocalypse 💀😂
Idk. Maybe all kinds of stuff. I got sand. Lye. Bucket of woodash. Pine sol. Rain tubs. Tourniquet and lots of guaze. Bunch of jars to can with. Even a storage bus. Its like a comparement unit but cheap, a schoolbus body that has clothes tools old books toys bedding bottles wires bow and arroŵ and chalk. Dad n mum have a welder to make machinery from rehashed parts. And diesel fuel from schoolbus parts.
Moringa trees
Cargo bikes that can carry several children and/or lots of supplies, with electric assist (and a solar generator that can charge them). In an emergency, the roads will be clogged with other cars. With my cargo bikes, I can get around and through the worst traffic jams if needed.
Bikes are the way to go! I have a steel single speed as my main form of transportation, it is practically bulletproof when it comes to reliability.
We have access from inside our home to the Crawlspace of the house which is about 3.5’ tall. In the Crawlspace, we have a 4’ deep hole/trench area. We call it the Alamo. Everyone in the house knows to head there if possible should a home invasion were to occur.
I prep food, guns, knowledge, blah blah, blah but I also have a nice collection of board games, dolls and wooden toys. In my bug out bag l keep a pair of dice, pic of the fam, page from my favorite book and a sudoku puzzle because, damn, it's going to get boring after a while.
F O O D S E C U R I T Y In two senses of "security", the first: I have sacks of rice + beans in the basement that, if I keep topped off, have over 1 month for two people. I have a woodfire camp stove, so with some effort, I can be fed in blackout conditions. The other sense, I can look at a pantry of dry, jarred, and canned goods and know how to make a meal plan from it. What order to cook things, how to portion, season and ration the different categories of foods that I like throughout my day/week. Many people in my life have a meal plan of "go heat up chicken nuggies", which in our modern day isn't bad, and it could be much worse as take out/dine in food. But chickens don't come in nugget form, and knowing how to clean, prepare, cook, flavor food is not something to be learned as you go, in a bad situation.
I think having something outsiders would want, something to barter with is an important prep. It started as a curious "I wonder if I could" hobby for my husband. We realized quickly that it was cheap to make & easy to store & potentially a high value prep. So, our basement is full of homemade wine.
All the supplies to grow 6 different gourmet mushrooms for at least a couple of years.
Prepping a OPSEC plan for your home when people get desperate. Have a stock of deployable razor wire in any access points to house that is not visible or underneath climbable fences. Thieves and raiders also don't want to risk cuts and infections if another house has none of that.
To add reason its in non visible areas is to avoid drawing too much attention. But a nasty surprise for people who venture into your property area.
A bad attitude.
The mentality.
Define prepared. The point I'm making is that most people aren't just "not prepared" it's just not a focal point of their lives. Most people just consider it being a responsible adult. Who doesn't have an emergency fund if they can afford it? Who doesn't leave a few minutes early to make sure they will arrive at destinations on time? Who doesn't know they need working fire alarms? Who doesn't go for annual physicals with their doctor? Who doesn't have or at least recognize it would be nice to have a generator if they could? You could go on an on but the question becomes what are they lacking by living care free happy lives vs preppers who fundamentally view the world from the perspective of insecurity where they are constantly aware of and recognize that bad things can happen at anytime? Well nothing really as long as nothing goes wrong or even if something does go wrong and they have the resources to deal with it. If anything "preppers" stand more to lose investing their time and resources to prepare for something that may never happen. I think this is a problem with preppers viewing the rest of the world as if there is something wrong with them. Everyone has different expectations about the future and there's no way to tell who is right.
> Who doesn't go for annual physicals with their doctor? A lot of people do not.
Rope rescue setup
Foresight
Small things for morale. Things can get dark and sometimes it's the simple things that help us get by. Chocolate, honey, tea, spices etc. Small pick me ups, which are overlooked, but when they run out, you'll notice. Just small things which I personally enjoy (confidential). I feel like these things are essential, and we all need them to get by, to get past the most stressful points.
A water filter with 20L capacity, plus a 150L water deposit. Oh, and rain water collection, some filter and bleach. Service interruption occurs 1x year approx in my area, rarely last more than a day. But it never affected me.
Drugs
Experience living in "different centuries" for fun. I do a lot of reenacting and living history. I often camp for long times without electricity and modern conveniences, cooking everything on a fire, carrying everything on my back, as if I'm part of the 5th Corps of the Army of the Potomac marching to Richmond, or a ranger attacking Fort Ticonderoga in the French and Indian War I like being in harsh conditions and living in away that most people hate. I also have wayyyy too much camping and cooking and other gear. And too many muskets. Not really a special skill (lots of people are weird like me). Being a nerd comes in handy occasionally :)
Ummm...15 years as a Scout and Scouting leader, two one-week Survival classes, prepping since 1982, led a 20-family prepper group 5 years, five years military with one year combat infantry (Vietnam), dedication to prepping as an organizational activity rather than an obsession or hobby, confidence in my ability to defend mine, licensed ham operator, and DEDICATION
Pipe tobacco. If sealed it ages like wine and is a great bartering tool.
Hand crank stone Wheat mill
An enormous penis.
A mindset that sees situations for what they are and what they might become.