42 Things Preparedness is About + 5 it’s NOT About…

I figured I would have some fun today and mention some of what I feel “preparedness is about” without sounding like a know-it-all. 🙂 The following lists are in no particular order and you’re welcome to add your own thoughts to the comments below.

I also figured that I should start with some of the things that preparedness is NOT about first so we’re clear. As such, preparedness is NOT about…

1. Hoarding. Sure, we stockpile supplies but it’s far different than hoarding which is an unhealthy disease. Hoarders keep anything and everything that is useless and more or less trash. Preppers put back supplies and food that they can and will use now and in the future.
2. Selfishness. Preppers, in my opinion, get a bad wrap about not “sharing” their stuff. I have no idea why people who choose not to prepare think they should somehow get my supplies if/when SHTF. It’s the same logic as if I had choose not to save for my retirement and then expect the guy who did so to fund my “golden years.” That just doesn’t make any sense.
3. Fear mongering. Sadly, I feel there are too many people and websites out there who are taking advantage of people based on their fears. True prepping isn’t about that. In fact, prepping is more about being hopeful and positive for the future than not. For example, if I really felt there were no hope in going on with life during a SHTF event then what’st he point in trying to survive it? I’m better of dead.
4. Politics. It’s true that a majority of those who consider themselves preppers are likely conservative but prepping isn’t a political movement. Instead, prepping is a way of life and a way of looking at the world with an understanding that the government can’t always be there to save us and that we have a personal responsibility to care for ourselves, our families, and even our neighbors if we so choose and are capable.
5. Wilderness survival. Yes, prepping can include bushcraft skills but that’s merely a small part of an overall strategy and one that you can choose to learn or not. Personally, I’m no Boy Scout–though I try to learn–but by-and-large wilderness skills are not what I’m interested in when it comes to being prepared. If it is for you then great.

With that in mind, preparedness is about…

1. Storing enough water so that you can work to procure more if needed.
2. Including easy to prepare food in your preps so that you don’t have a lot of work to make meals when you’re already stressed, tired, and possibly pre-occupied.
3. Storing alternative fuel (e.g., propane, charcoal, etc) so that you can cook meals quickly.
4. Doing the skills you expect to utilize during a survival situation (e.g., fire starting with wet materials, cooking over a campfire, using a Dutch oven, etc).
5. Planning to shelter in place if at all possible.
6. Planning to bug out if you must.
7. Understanding how to secure your home during social unrest (e.g., board up windows, bar doors, sandbag if needed, etc) including how to use firearms to defend yourself and family if necessary.
8. Having and testing your OPSEC plan for light, noise, and odor discipline (e.g., testing that light doesn’t escape a blacked-out window).
9. Knowing how to properly deal with human waste when the sewers stop working, such as storing in a bucket and burying it outdoors.
10. Creating a communications plan with other family members which could include using out-of-state contacts to funnel messages through.
11. Deciding on a family meeting place(s) for personal disasters like a house fire, larger emergencies where only your area is affected such as your neighborhood or city block, or if the entire city/region is affected.
12. Carrying EDC gear so that you always have some supplies to rely upon no matter where you are, from a pocket knife to a Bic lighter, there are many items you can include.
13. Including a comprehensive vehicle repair kit that includes items like tire repair supplies, fluids, tools, etc.
14. Adding in appropriate seasonal supplies (e.g., clothing, gloves, boots, etc.) to your vehicle kit.
15. Remembering that your pets need water, food, medicine, and more too.
16. Ensuring that you stockpile as much prescription medications and other life-necessary supplies (e.g., insulin, oxygen, etc) as you possibly can.
17. Including appropriate emergency first aid supplies (e.g., tourniquets, occlusive dressings, nasal airways, etc) to deal with life-threatening scenarios until help arrives… and understanding how to use them.
18. Being able to heat your home–or at least a small room–during the winter if necessary.
19. Cooling a small room during the hot summer (a generator and window A/C could be useful here).
20. Powering a refrigerator or freezer so perishable food doesn’t spoil.
21. Realizing you can’t do it all on your own and being able / willing to delegate responsibilities to other people, including children.
22. Being aware of what’s going on in the world, particularly your city / region, so that you’re not caught off-guard by potential threats (e.g., Ebola, Missouri riots, recent nearby crimes, etc).
23. Being able to purify water from nearby sources such as a stream or collected from your rooftop.
24. Having backup life-necessary gear and supplies such as multiple ways to purify water, multiple ways to cook food, multiple ways to stay warm, multiple ways to light up a dark room, and so on.
25. Developing more than one bug out route, rendezvous points, locations to bug out to.
26. Caching some of your supplies outside of your home be it at a friend or family member’s home, a storage unit, buried underground, etc.
27. Learning new skills and information on a regular basis so you never feel like you “know it all” and perhaps even to stretch your own comfort levels.
28. Eating what you store and storing what you eat. 🙂
29. Stockpiling enough hygiene supplies (e.g., bars of soap, toothpaste, etc) so that you can continue to keep yourself clean.
30. Knowing when as well as when NOT to administer medical aid (unless you’re qualified to do so).
31. Having the ability to light up a room with a lantern, a large area outside (such as with a floodlight), or directional lighting with a flashlight.
32. Having the ability to listen to emergency broadcasts both near (such as with a NOAA weather radio) and far (e.g., shortwave radio).
33. Stockpiling plenty of batteries to run your critical gear such as radios, two-way radios, flashlights, lanterns, and so on.
34. Keeping some cash on hand (at home and on your person) so that you can still make purchases if the grid goes down and vendors cannot accept credit/debit cards or checks.
35. Making it clear to family and friends your intentions during SHTF, that is, are they welcome or not… if they are how are they expected to contribute, what happens if they don’t, etc.
36. Developing an off-grid power setup so that you have a renewable energy option.
37. Properly sanitizing dishes, surfaces, and so on to minimize the possibility of getting sick.
38. Storing, burying, or burning trash to minimize the spread of diseases as well as rodents and other pests.
39. Being able to patch up your home should it get damaged, especially windows, doors, rooftop (e.g., using plastic sheeting).
40 Being able to keep yourself properly protected from foul weather (e.g., a rain suit, proper footwear, cold weather clothing, etc).
41. Being able to detect and deal with small house fires (e.g., smoke alarms and fire extinguishers) and knowing when NOT to deal with them.
42. Entertaining yourself (especially children) when none of the electronics work!

BONUS: Remembering to enjoy life and not be totally obsessed with prepping all the time.

Now, stop reading this and go have some fun! 🙂

preparedness is about


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Comments

5 responses to “42 Things Preparedness is About + 5 it’s NOT About…”

  1. Randy

    Diane,

    Buy what you use and use what you buy. Hygiene products last a long time, so if you find a deal on toothpaste, shampoo, soap, buy all you can afford. Many stores put name brand canned vegetables on sale several times a year, 2/$1. Buy cases of the stuff and use it. Don’t worry too much about expiration dates. If it looks bad, smells bad, throw it out.

    Whatever you use regularly, if it’s necessary to your lifestyle, stock up on it. Toilet paper doesn’t go bad. If nothing happens, you’ll use it anyway, nothing lost. Soon, you’ll find you’re ONLY buying stuff that’s on sale, so it will pay off that way as well. You’ll make fewer trips to the grocery store, saving time, saving gas.

    If you can, buy some of your staples (rice, beans, grains, etc.) in #10 cans from a reputable supplier. It costs a bit more, but a #50 bag of pinto beans will take a long time to eat and probably not be as easy to cook as you would like toward the bottom of the bag. Large bags of rice, while cheap, can attract bugs before you can eat it all, same with wheat. Part of what you’re paying for in the cans is the long term storage. If you have kids, consider some cans of powdered milk. Don’t forget canned meats. Chicken, salmon, canned ham and tuna store well.

    You’ll get the hang of it. Good luck.

  2. I love your site. Please continue. Its informative and for a person who is prepping but not their yet. the main problem is having enough money to do so. Im buying extra cans of food when possible and water but, other than that I find it hard to come up with the rest of what I would need. Any suggestions would really be helpful and also any other websites on prepping would also be very helpful.

    thanks so much for the time and effort you and your crew put into this site.

    diane

    1. Diane, money is always THE problem! Seems I can never have enough and these days we’re super broke so if I were in your shoes (and I am) I would really focus on the basic needs: water, food, sanitation, shelter, etc. There’s a lot you can do for little money. Download my free reports at TopSecretSurvival.com if you have yet to do so. You’ll find lots of ways to save money and get better prepared too. Learn to make your own cleaning supplies, try making foods from scratch, read my Frugal Fridays info, etc. As for other blogs, I link to the more useful articles each day so look for those. If you want to save money (mostly on food) the lady at http://www.onehundreddollarsamonth.com/ does a great job.

  3. RangerRick

    Very well done, Damian.
    Will share with my class tonight,
    Be Prepared – Be Prayerful – Be Thankful – You are an American
    RangerRick

    1. lockduke

      Hello Ranger Danger I haven’t heard from you in a while hope everyone is well and learning. And I like Damian’s info quite a lot as well and have uploaded it to storeage files to be able to get to them off line as well. Duke

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