Many people think of the term preppers as people who are preparing for the ultimate doomsday in a very over the top way. Spending all their time and resources on bunkers, guns, and ammo. Prepping for a zombie apocalypse that most people believe will never happen.
Let’s shift our mind set. As a society we have gotten too comfortable with a convenience lifestyle that is being pushed on us from all angels. Everything is designed to save time and effort but at what cost? Our collective physical and mental health is declining. For the first time in recorded history, there are now more obese adults than underweight adults in the world. Convenience and technological advances have led us to a more sedentary lifestyle with less nutritious food. We have become dependent on the government and corporations instead of our own family and small communities. Growing and preserving your own food and being prepared for emergency situations used to be the norm. 100 years ago, we were all preppers. We need to get back to this way of life. Being prepared for life’s inevitable curve balls is not crazy, it should be common practice.
The ever so popular but very unlikely zombie apocalypse scenario is not the only emergency situation you should be prepping for. The likelihood of certain emergencies will differ depending on where you live and your personal circumstances, but here is a list of emergencies you might come across that future you would be thrilled you were prepared for:
- Sudden Unemployment
- Financial Hardships
- Pandemics
- Natural Disasters
- Inclement Weather
- Inventory Shortages
- Economic Collapse
- Medical Emergencies
- Civil Unrest
- Illness Death and Grieving
- Power Outages
- Global Conflict
Preparedness is nothing more than just planning ahead. Making sure you have your house in order, having what you use and need in stock, and consistently taking inventory and adding to your preps when you can. It may feel overwhelming but the only wrong way to prep, is to not do it at all. Grocery prices are astronomical right now, but you don’t have to go out and buy a year’s worth of pantry food all at once. If you look for sales and buy just 2 extra cans of food a week to store, after one year you would have 104 cans saved for a rainy day. You can search local thrift stores, garage sales, and online marketplaces for many helpful items too!
There are a couple different areas preppers focus on. The most important prep is water storage and filtration. The truth is, whether you’re getting water delivered to you by the city or you have a personal well, your water could be unexpectedly cut off or contaminated at any time. Humans, animals, and plants can not survive long without water. Make it a habit to have bottled water on hand. This can be but does not have to be individual bottles of water. You can get big jugs or fill your own sterilised vessels for pantry storage. Some people even use their unused mason jars for water storage since they would take up the same amount of room anyways. The water should be rotated every couple of months to keep it fresh and safe. It’s also a good idea to have a rain storage collection system. We have 2 large totes collecting water off our roof that we use for watering our garden. But what if you do have access to water but it’s all contaminated? Time to think about water filtration. You might think to boil water, but do you have a way to heat water without access to electricity if need be? We have invested in a Berkey water filter which can filter raw, untreated freshwater sources in situations where potable water is not available. You don’t have to wait for an emergency to use this either, many people use it daily to filter city water. We have also purchased life straws which are survival tools that are essentially big straws you can stick into any water source and drink though. They filter the water and protect against bacteria, parasites, microplastics, silt, sand, etc. Hikers use them as well.
Food is absolutely essential for survival, every single person should have a basic knowledge of gardening and food preservation. But we don’t. Most people spend over 2,000 days in the public school system, and yet knowledge of how to grow and store food is not a requirement. Sure, there are some schools that have veggie gardens and teach some gardening lessons here and there, but we are nowhere near where we should be. In an ideal world, schools would be growing enough food to provide daily lunches to students and staff and the kids would be involved in growing, harvesting, preserving, and prepping the food. One can dream… The reality is, If SHTF and all the sudden grocery stores weren’t a thing, we would all be screwed. Most people do not have the knowledge, skills, or tools to grow and store food, and those that have dedicated time to building these skills will be targeted by these hungry humans looking to stock up. Our food system is fragile, a number of things could jeopardise it. The more people that are growing and storing their own food, the better off all of us will be. So join the club, and learn along with your kids!
Gardening is simple and straightforward, consistency is key. You don’t have to have a big garden to get started. A couple of containers on a patio or balcony, or some potted plants on a window ledge inside is enough to get you experimenting and learning! Seed storage is a great way to add to your food security too, you can even save seeds from previous crops or organic fruit/veg you buy.
Food preservation is something we have been focusing on. There are many foods you can wash and freeze, which is one of the easiest food preservation methods. We freeze fruits, veggies, butter, meat, full meals, etc. This is great, until you’re exposed to a prolonged power outage. That’s why it’s a good idea to learn how to can food. This is a skill I have been reluctantly practising for a couple years. It’s definitely intimidating and nerve racking at first, but practice makes progress. Also, you don’t have to grow it to can it. Buy in season food in bulk from farmers markets or pick-your-own when you can and then have a little canning party with a friend or neighbour. You will both walk away with new skills, a closer bond, and an added layer of food security. You can also look into dehydrating or freeze drying food. These methods require investing in specialty tools but from what I hear, they are worth it!
Shopping in bulk and look for sales to help with stocking up on pantry items. We have invested in 5 gallon buckets and oxygen absorbers which we use to store bulk rice, beans, and wheat berries long term. Wheat berries are the part of the wheat that you grind to make flour. They store longer than flour and can also be planted! We purchased a wheat grinder too. When we stock up on canned goods, we focus on protein (tuna, beans, etc) and a variety of fruit and veggies. Just remember to only prep the items that you actually eat! If your family doesn’t enjoy eating fish, don’t stock up on tuna cans!
First aid is of utmost importance. This is admittedly an area we need to focus on bettering in our preps. Let’s assume you could no longer go to the ER. Do you have everything you need to stop bleeding? Stitch someone up? Treat an illness? It’s impossible to be prepared for everything, but you should have the basics on hand. Of course, these won’t help you if you don’t know how to use them. Another thing I think we should have all been taught in school – basic first aid and CPR training. There are plenty of jobs that require you to take a first aid course, I had to take one to be an E.C.E., but I think it should be mandatory for all humans to learn. So if you haven’t yet, invest in a weekend or online course so you feel confident enough to help your loved ones if need be. Making sure you have a decent supply of your prescription drugs is also something to think about.
Security. As I mentioned before, if we get into a situation where food and/or shelter is scarce, honest but hungry humans will get desperate. You need to take proper security measures to ensure your safety. You have a lock on your door but is it strong enough? If you have weapons, do you have enough ammo? Are they stored safely? Are you trained in self defence? Are your kids? All things to consider.
Last but not least, what would you do for a prolonged period of time with no power, and no internet? Do you have a way to heat your home and your food? If you have a wood burning fireplace, how long will your wood pile last you? If you have a generator, how much fuel do you keep on hand for it? Do you have a way to contact loved ones? Walkie-talkies and radios would come in handy here. Do you have a stash of candles, solar powered lights and/or flashlights? A good stock of batteries would be immensely helpful in this situation as well as some good old fashioned hand tools. With the absence of google, something we’ve all grown accustomed to, an extensive library will be crucial. We have found many essential books at thrift stores for very low prices. I recommend “how to” books for learning basic skills (sewing, wood working, food preservation), local foraging books to help with your food supply, local maps, recipes books, etc. I have taken up the habit of actually printing the recipes we have tried and love and putting them into a binder so we have physical copies. This will also be great to pass down to my kids when they’re older.
I know it seems overwhelming to think about all the things that could go wrong in the world. This is not meant to frighten you. Proactively getting your house in order will allow you to focus on being prepared, not scared. It’s about taking as much control over your situation as you can. Hoping for the best, and planning for the worst. The more people that get onboard with preparedness, the better off we all will be. When SHTF the government won’t be able to help you, and everyone else will be busy helping their own family. Your family is your responsibility. What are you going to do today that your future self will thank you for?
