How do you start to prepare for the end of the world as you know it? Do you start saving all the water you can, or maybe lining your shelves with canned goods? Maybe you should buy some guns and get ready to protect your homestead against rioters.
If you’ve watched “Doomsday Preppers” or other shows like it before, you probably think there’s too much involved in prepping and you’ll just never get to that level. The problem is, prepping is a progressive thing. You don’t just start out with a fully stocked hideaway and the skills required to survive what the world throws at you. It takes time and effort, and like anything else, it starts with the first small action.
So what is that first small action? Simply put, it’s having the will to survive. If you have the want to survive and the dedication to learn how, then it doesn’t matter where you start from, you can be as prepared as the people you see on TV, and oftentimes far more so.
If you’re like most beginning preppers, you probably started off thinking you’d like to be better at protecting yourself and your loved ones, and the idea of being prepared, or prepping, just came along for the ride.
Planning is Everything
Starting to prep is easier than you may think. As with everything else, you just have to start at the beginning. Everything that’s important should have a plan, and prepping is no different. Before buying your first MRE or jug of water, you should start a written plan. Your first plan should be for 2 weeks. Once you have this planned out you can start looking for the supplies in your plan. The basics should include:
- Water
- Food
- Medicine
- Basic toiletries and supplies
Remember, this plan should follow the assumption that you’ll be without running water and electricity, so the food must be room temperature stable, and anything you plan on using to cook with must be off-grid capable.
With this basic plan in place, start thinking about what you’ll do for protection and shelter, especially if the emergency at hand requires you to leave your home. Plan on how to gather supplies, load the car, and where you’ll go. Making a basic plan like this will put you ahead of at least ¾ of the people out there today. Once you’ve got this basic plan down, you can start to elaborate on the finer points and start extending your prep out past 2 weeks.
Learn Some Skills
The idea of prepping usually brings up basements full of supplies and a cabinet of guns, but true prepping should be about skills first, supplies second. While a basement full of supplies to last you a year is wonderful, what happens if your house burns down? Worse yet, what if the emergency at hand drives you away from your home, or if one strikes while you’re on vacation?
Supplies and gargets will only get you so far. What you really need to survive are skills. Knowing how to start a fire, build a shelter, hunt, fish, and countless other skills are far more valuable than any supplies ever could be. Physical items can be lost, stolen, or destroyed but skills are there for as long as you’re around.
Take the time to learn the basics of survival and first aid to start with. You should know how to read a map, navigate in the woods, and hunt and fish. From here, you can learn other skills that can come in handy in a long-term emergency like welding, basic auto repair, canning, and basic farming/gardening.
With a basic plan in place, the food, water, and supplies to support the plan, and some basic skills in place you’re well on your way to being as prepared as possible for whatever life has to throw at you. Once all of these are mastered, then you can start buying and building the toys you see on TV shows like Doomsday Preppers. Until then, stick to the basics and be prepared.