What is a Prepper?
Preppers are simply people who want to be prepared for any contingency; this includes even short term problems, such as power outages from storms and other events along those lines. Our goal is simply to be ready to provide for our family and friends if and when the need arises.
There is no right or wrong way to be a prepper, each individual and family must make their plans and preps whatever way works best for their circumstances. Preppers do have at least one thing in common though; food and water are at the top of any preppers list. Anything else you collect or plan will do you no good if you don’t have water to drink and food to eat.
The first step on the road to preparedness is to set-up an emergency food & water supply. Your stockpile of supplies will depend on your level of commitment, financial means, storage space, and where you live.
If something were to happen that compromised the nation’s food supply, or even the food supply only in the area where you live, what would you do? Would you be prepared or would you have a couple of cans of spaghetti and things in your fridge that would have to be eaten immediately or thrown away.
1) Water
The first item you must plan for is water. Your body can go weeks without food but only days without water, so an ample supply of water is essential in any type of survival circumstance. You should have no less than three gallons of water per day per family member.
If that sounds like a lot to you, keep in mind that this water is for more than drinking, it will also be used for cooking and basic hygiene. The more water you have the better shape you will be in and the more likely you will be to survive any disaster situation.
Storing water is simple – you can start by re-using containers you would normally recycle. Make sure you keep your emergency water supply in a cool/dark place such as in a basement, closet, or under the bed.
Pro Tip: When you’re unprepared neighbors come to you looking for water remind them that they already have a basic water supply in their hot water heater and toilet tanks.
2) Food
Begin with an emergency supply of food that could sustain you and your family for several weeks or ideally several months. You can purchase canned and pre-packaged goods that have long shelf lives, or you could even can your own food, or better yet, do both. Either way, make sure you have enough food for your family.
Many preppers buy food in bulk supplies from companies that specialize in offering preparedness supplies. If that’s an option for you, start building your long term food storage today with just $5 a week.
Eventually, your store bought food supplies will dwindle and then what?
Developing a plan to produce your own food should be high on your priority list. The more self-reliant you are the better off you will be whenever it becomes necessary to put your prepping skills to work. You can start off by planting a small garden with herbs and vegetables that are easy to grow.
As you become more comfortable with gardening and giving the proper care and attention to your plants, you can work your way up to larger gardens and more varieties of fruits and vegetables.
Another way that preppers maintain their own food supply is by raising animals that can either produce food consistently, such as a chicken’s eggs or a cow or goat’s milk, or can be raised cheaply and then used for meat.
Although preppers in urban areas may have a hard time raising any livestock, anyone can start a garden, even on a roof top or a windowsill. Many major cities are now making it easier for people to start rooftop gardens or allow bits of empty land in city limits to be used for community farming.
As you discover which kinds of food you can grow and maintain on your own, begin weaning off of store bought items and use more of what you have produced instead. Doing this will help make the transition to only using your food much easier should the time ever come. You and your family will already be used to eating and living in a self-reliant way.
3) Develop Your Skills
Going on hikes and camping trips are perfect ways to get comfortable with being outdoors and learning to go without modern conveniences. Having children join boy or girl scout troupe’s is a great way to get them involved and teach them ways of being able to live in the wilderness if they had to. Everyone in your family should know how to build a proper fire.
The entire family should also learn and regularly practice self-defense techniques. You can train with weapons, martial arts or whatever you are most comfortable with. You never know when you may have to defend yourself, your family or your supplies.
You’ll also want to take at least a basic first aid course with your entire family, so that in case someone becomes injured or sick, you will know what to do.
4) Become a Part of the Prepper Community
As you become more confident in your prepping abilities reach out to the prepping community. See who around you is interested in prepping or perhaps already does. There are many different prepper websites and forums where you can connect with people. It’s a great way to get new ideas or form partnerships that fill a mutual need since you are sure to have something another prepper needs and vice versa.
Baby Steps
Hopefully your preparedness measures only amount to nothing more than a well grounded lifestyle and are never put to the test. But if hard times come and your preps are needed for survival, each step you take today will put you miles ahead when disaster strikes. So more than anything else – get started and start taking baby steps to improve your preparedness.
The editor of Resounding Earth, and pursuer of relatively interesting information, Simon has a Masters Degree in Creative Writing and Journalism from the University of Wales, and is a photo-journalist and writer whose written and photographic work has been represented by the AFP news agency and appeared in newspapers across Europe and Asia.