What Does It Take to Be a Prepper?

Do you wish to be a little more self-sufficient? Do you want to be prepared for emergencies but aren’t sure where to start?

In this prepping guide, we’ll walk you through the basic steps in handling unexpected situations that come your way. You could be someone stockpiling supplies such as food, water, clothes, etc., during a disaster or preparing for the end of civilization. So, if you’re looking to learn how to live off the land, you must know some basic skills of becoming self-sufficient, food preservation, and saving money.

If you’re a total newbie to the prepping world, here is the proper procedure that you must follow:

1. Gather All Prepping Supplies

The first step towards becoming a prepper is creating a store of food and water. As a beginner, you must gather at least two weeks’ worth of water and store it in a property with adequate space. If you live on your own, prepare one gallon per day for yourself and the same quantity per person if there are more people. Also, learn the art of purifying water instead of using an RO.

If you’re planning for long-term contingencies, consider storing two weeks’ worth of canned food on hand. Store it in a pantry, garage, or root cellar. You’ll also need a gas-powered stove with plenty of fuel on hand or solar ovens.

2. Buy a Bug-Out Bag

For storing important stuff in small quantities, you’ll need a good-quality bug-out bag. You may go for a backpack or a duffel for keeping a change of clothes, a bottle of water, some snacks, a few sundries, etc. Some people even put together an expedition pack that can carry enough gear to live in the woods. Other people prefer something in between.

The decision to select the right kind of bag for your requirements is dependent on you. If you’re planning to go on a long expedition, you’ll need a large backpack; otherwise, a smaller one will suffice.

3. Learn About First Aid

After food and water, health care is one of the first bits of infrastructure to go in an emergency state. Anything can go wrong at any time – you must know the basics of first aid and survival medicine. If there is a natural disaster or societal breakdown, hospitals may be unable to assist you. Or, the majority of the staff may be busy helping the ones with more significant injuries.

Therefore, you must learn how to fix things on your own, especially the necessary ones. It includes working knowledge of medicinal plants, essential oils, etc. Also, do survival reading in bookstores to enhance your knowledge and learn the art of gardening, sheltering, bushcraft, etc.

4. Prepare an Evacuation Plan

To become a prepper, you must have an evacuation plan for emergencies that you can execute well. If you have a location in mind where you can move to during a calamity, familiarize yourself with multiple routes to that place. Finalize the one that takes you there quickly without any hindrances. Also, take the weather of the area into account and pack your clothes accordingly.

Practice evacuation from time to time to get an idea of the total travel time.

5. Arm Yourself With Defense

When going on an expedition, you may encounter danger from time to time. That’s why it is vital to arm yourself for your security. In the event of a natural disaster, you may not have the benefit of police protection, or the response time will be slow, so it’s better to be prepared. For the time being, you can store the defense tools in vaults, which are available at an affordable price at safes wholesale.

Additionally, you will need proper arms for hunting as you may run out of food supplies at any time. Choose a good sidearm and have plenty of ammunition for every gun you will have along.

6. Prepare for Power Outage

As you do not have much experience in this field, power outages may overwhelm you. But you can start by picking up flashlights, candles, batteries, and waterproof matches. Doing this is enough at the beginning. Later on, when you have the budget and experience, you may purchase more esoteric items such as a generator or inverter.

7. Create an Emergency Contact List

When a natural calamity occurs, you have to act instantly and have less response time. Since human beings do not generally have an active mind, it is better to be prepared in advance. For this, you must have emergency contacts of police, fire, hospital, and close friends and family members.

8. Gather Important Documents

Find all the essential documents such as ID card, driving license, marriage license, certificates, passport, emergency contacts, and medical history. Prepare a file of these documents and keep them at a place where you can grab them quickly during an emergency. These documents will assist rescue workers in providing you with adequate medical care.

Also, don’t forget to keep all the cash in cash boxes because natural calamities can hit anytime.

9. Come up with Sanitation Solutions

Sometimes, calamities can hit so hard that the sanitation structure fails – you may no longer have flushing toilets or running water. In that case, it is helpful if you have extra toilet paper in your backpack. You can also stock up on supplies for hand hygiene or use kitty litter to make a temporary toilet.

Final Words

Once you have read the above points carefully, you will no longer remain a novice prepper. You have built an incredible foundation that will assist you in handling challenging situations. Just remember that the more self-reliant you become, the less you will be affected by the hardships of life. Now that you have all the necessary supplies and skills of a prepper, you can easily face life’s challenges.

We truly hope you continue the journey and help your community get through the tough times!