Prepping for Beginners – Top 5 Tips

Are you a “prepper?”  Know what a prepper is?  Think “prepping” is just for those “crazy” people who worry about the armageddon, zombies taking over, and/or the world coming to an end?

For those of you who don’t know – a prepper is generally considered to be a person who takes seriously the responsibility of caring for themselves and/or their family during difficult or catastrophic times.   Could this relate to the zombie apocalypse?  Sure!  But more likely, it relates to a national pandemic that requires you to stay home, an electrical storm that leaves you without power, or snowstorm that makes it impossible for you to leave your house or perhaps, it can even relate to the loss of a job by the breadwinner of the family.

Prepping for difficult times is important for all of us to consider.  It is definitely something everyone can do more of and something that you can PLAN to do more about – so this post is about prepping for beginners.  If you definitely consider yourself a beginner in this department, this might be just the post for you.

Prepping for Beginners – Top 5 Tips

1. Water

Without a doubt, the number one way to be prepared for a disaster is to take into consideration how you will get water.  You can go a long while without eating but no more than 3-5 days maximum (depending on conditions) without water.

For many people, this means having water stored in jugs or barrels on site.  This might also include having the means and ability to purify water if need be.  Having a water catchment system might also be something to consider.

You could simply buy water purification tablets like these or something like the LifeStraw personal water filter.

2. Food

Should you be unable or unwilling to leave your home in a time of disaster or emergency, having plenty of food on hand will ease the worry, tension, and stress you may feel.  Depending on the length of time you are secluded at your home, it also might be a necessity.

A prepper’s food storage might be as simple as canned foods and dry goods or as complex as barrels of food, dehydrated goods, and gas-powered stoves. Think about how you would cook if the electricity was off for an extended length of time. How would you cook, how soon would refrigerated and frozen foods spoil? These are things to consider when making a food plan when prepping.

3.  Medical

Having basic medical supplies on hand is a necessity for any home.  In a previous post, we discussed stocking your first aid kit and how to prepare an herbal first aid kit.  This would be the basic level of medical prepping. 

However, there are many other issues to consider.  If you (or a family member) take medication on a regular basis, having extra on hand is important.  Depending on one’s expertise and training, having supplies to be able to handle minor to severe injuries may also be important.

Don’t want to deal with putting together your own kit?  There are many ready-made options that you can purchase.  Some are cheap – Johnson & Johnson All-Purpose First Aid Kit – and others are more comprehensive and expensive.  Choose whichever option best fits the needs and requirements of your family.

4.  Gardening/Seeds

If relegated to your home for a long period of time and during good weather, it may be possible to survive by gardening and growing your own fruits and vegetables.

Being sure you have a good seed store that is well-rotated may be incredibly helpful in times of disaster.

The idea of keeping a  Survival Seed Vault – Survival Seed Vault Non-GMO Hardy Heirloom Seeds for Long-Term Emergency Storage may appeal to you. You can probably think of many ways that a product like this would come in handy and know that it wouldn’t go to waste.

5.  Bug Out Bag

Have you heard of these?  Do you have one?

Sometimes called a 72-hour kit, a bug out bag is a bag (usually a backpack) that has the supplies you and your family members would need to survive for 72-hours or so should the need for an evacuation occur.

Not sure how to put one of these together?  Not up for gathering all the supplies?   You can buy a ready-made one on Amazon.  At the very least, take a look at what this product maker suggests you include.

Now.  The question.  How do you organize all of this?  How do you get everything you need together?

Planning is incredibly important when it comes to preparing for a disaster or difficult time and that is why, perhaps, planning should have been at the top of this list on prepping for beginners.

Does the planning part intimidate you?  It intimidates many.  Here are two sources that might help alleviate your intimidation. The first is The Seven Step Survival Plan, 1st Edition which is a 132-page book by Dave Kobler and Mark Goodwin and Prepping 101: 40 Steps You Can Take to Be Prepared: Protect Your Family, Prepare for Weather Disasters, and Be Ready and Resilient when Emergencies Arise which is a 176-page book by Kathy Harrison. Either one of these will be a great resource for helping you begin prepping.