Getting Started

More people than ever are getting curious about prepping with the state of the world as it is. Many people become overwhelmed, though, when they first get into prepping. The lifestyle change can be pretty dramatic for some, so it’s easiest to start with ways to prep at home. This article is going to give you some tips on how to start prepping, with a focus on prepping in the home. 

How to Start Prepping For Emergencies

1. Get Your Finances In Order

This may seem a bit out of the blue, but remember that the world, at least for the time being, runs on money. Going out and buying prepping supplies until you max out your credit card isn’t really going to do you any favors. There’s no guarantee that doomsday won’t be another major financial collapse or natural disaster that costs you thousands in-home repairs. 

Getting your finances in order is a multi-step process. Set aside income each month dedicated to paying off any debts. Invest in an identity theft monitoring service such as Lifelock or IdentityForce, it’s up to you which of the two big choices you use. This will help you make sure that your finances aren’t meddled with by other, malevolent parties. 

2. Out With The Old 

If you start collecting dry goods, weapons, tools, and other gear, you’re going to quickly end up with a house full of stuff. Before you go buying all of the supplies you want to have, it’s vital that you make room in your home for everything you need. This might involve clearing out a part of the house that will be dedicated to supplies. You’ll want enough room to have supplies easily accessible, not packed away in boxes. 

It doesn’t need to be a whole room either. You’re likely going to start with a small portion of supplies rather than create a huge stockpile right away. There are plenty of ways to prep even if you live in a small home or apartment. However, one of the first ways to make space is to go through your home and see what you don’t need anymore. 

Another aspect of prepping is getting rid of your old fears and attitudes. This can mean a lot of things for different people, but the gist is to let go of reasons to not fully commit to prepping. Whether you’re scared of the possibility of doomsday, or you’re afraid of what prepping will do to your family, you need to fully commit to the cause. Only when fully committed will you be able to embrace prepping and all of the benefits that it can have for your family. 

3. Get the Whole Family On Board

A family is only as prepared as its least committed member. Whether you’re the only one into prepping, or there’s a mix of attitudes on the subject, do your best to get everyone involved. Treat prepping as a family activity, with special time allotted to the practice. Everyone can learn survival skills together not only as a bonding activity but also so that you can ensure that everyone’s skills are satisfactory. 

Consult the rest of the family and find ways that you can incorporate their interests into your prepper training. Maybe one of your children wants to learn to hunt, or maybe your spouse wants to learn more about cooking. Whatever the case, embracing each individual’s interests is a great way to make sure everyone is getting something positive from this experience. These positive experiences can make it easier to deal with the stress of prepping, which can take a toll on your family if not well managed. 

If you can’t get everyone on board, it’s a good idea to have a plan to include your non-prepping family members in your emergency plans. 

4. Implement a Waste Removal System

Many new preppers get caught up in storing water, food, and gear that they forget about the problem of waste removal. When doomsday hits, there’s a chance that your current system will be unusable. It’s best to start planning for this ahead of time so that you don’t find yourself in a situation without a waste removal system. 

There may not be sanitation works after doomsday, so consider composting to get rid of your food waste. Most other items can biodegrade or be burned, such as cardboard packaging. If it comes in a container that can’t be composted, burned, or won’t biodegrade, don’t buy it. This way you won’t end up with piles of plastic trash outside of your home. 

5. Sustenance is Key 

It may seem more than obvious, but you’re going to need food and water, even when doomsday hits. It may seem like you can run on adrenaline alone, but this simply isn’t the case. It takes a long time to build up a food and water supply, so start slowly. Do some research on food items that keep well and begin purchasing them over time. Before you know it, you’ll have a year’s worth of food to satiate your entire family. If you need help pulling ideas together, check out this really thorough survival food list.  

As far as water is concerned, you don’t want to be underprepared. While humans can survive on less than ideal amounts of food, water is another story. Whether you’ve collected water in outside tanks, or in containers inside, make sure you have enough to keep everyone hydrated. Dehydration can kill in a matter of days, so you don’t want to wait until doomsday hits to collect enough water. 

6. Be Prepared to Leave Home

While it’s important to be prepared to be in your home for an extended period of time, there is a good chance that a time may come when you have to leave. Whether you’ve finally run out of provisions or there’s an unforeseen emergency, you need to be prepared to pick up and leave when the time comes. 

 Each member of the family should have a bag with some of the basics that can be grabbed at a moment’s notice. It’s also a good idea to assign roles to each member of the family that divides up the work in the event that the family must migrate. One child may be tasked with looking after the younger children, while another may be tasked with packing up the items that will be taken with the family. These roles will help minimize the amount of stress that occurs during this time. 

If you’re just starting out as a prepper, it can be overwhelming to know just where to start. With the help of these tips, you can begin prepping at home and expand into other areas of your life once you are more experienced.

Below You will find a quiz to see how well you would fair in a survival situation.

Although I did try and cover all scenario’s some of the quiz will not apply to everyone. Have fun with this!

1) Does each person in your family have a Bug-Out Bag which can sustain basic needs for 72 hours?

2) Do you and your family have a plan detailing where to meet after a disaster (if your home becomes unsafe)?

3) Do you have a basic first aid kit in your home and in your vehicle?

4) Do you have one gallon of water per person per day stored in the event of an emergency?

5) Do you know how to treat contaminated water to make it safe to drink?

6) Do you have an alternative water source? Or, if you get your water from a well, do you have means to operate this well if the power is out?

7) Do you have a plan for dealing with waste if the water is cut off and the toilet can’t be flushed?

8) Do you have a plan and supplies for what to do for personal hygiene?

9) Do you have a battery-operated or wind-up radio to use for information and updates if the electricity goes out?

10) Do you have back up-batteries for powered devices (tools, cell phone, flashlight, radio, etc.) in the case of a power outage?

11) If the electricity is out, do you have an alternate way to cook food and heat water?

12) Do you keep cash, or other valuables for bartering?

13) Do you have basic fire starting skills? Do you have the tools to start a fire?

14) Do you know how to stay warm without a fire, how to stay cool without air conditioning?

15) Do you know how defend yourself and your family?

16) Do you have at least 3 days of food on hand for each person in your family and for all pets/livestock?

17) After a collapse if there wasn’t a way to buy food, do you have the means to produce a garden?

18) Do you have the knowledge, supplies, and skills to plant a garden?

19) Do you have the knowledge and ability to hunt, dress, and prepare wild game or fish?

20) Do you keep your gas tank at least half full at all times?

What Does Your Score Mean

Each question is worth 5 points.

Survivor (18+ answers): If you scored 90% or more, you’re a Survivor. You’re pretty much prepared for any eventuality and will most likely survive and thrive. You are probably a leader and don’t mind helping others to overcome difficult situations.

Laborer (16-17 answers): If you are 80% to 89% prepared, you’re a Laborer. You’ve got a few basic preparations to make, but you’re well on your way. Keep it up.

Beginner (15 or fewer answers): If you score 79% or less, you are a Beginner In the event of a disaster, meeting your basic needs is going to be very difficult. Thankfully, you’re already thinking about these things and can begin to prepare now.