The “typical” prepper can often be seen wearing an iconic looking gas mask.  But in reality, most preppers are fairly regular everyday people, just ones who are way more prepared to cope in a crisis or disaster. If COVID-19 has taught us anything, it is that we all need a little more preparation in our lives! In this post, we are going to explore just what is prepping, and what is a prepper?

The usual disasters preppers are planning for include pandemics (shoutout to Covid-19) / Super Volcanoes (6 of these around our Earth) / Solar Flares / Global Warming / Future Nuclear Wars and Civil unrest / Subterranean Gas Deposits / Financial Collapse / Asteroid impact / Storms and Flooding, Hurricanes, Tornados and Tsunamis / even the prospect of Artificial Intelligence being a cause for an apocalyptical even (Perhaps Arnie had something there with SkyNet after all)

On the subject of Covid-19, being a prepper meant I had my food stockpiles and yes, even toilet paper stocks! I did not have to go to the supermarket for five weeks and was able to give my family, friends food supplies, and even the wonderful gift of toilet paper, hand sanitiser, and protective face masks.

So, how can YOU become “Prepped and Ready”?

This, in the main, means having access to sufficient food, water, medical supplies, and other essentials readily stockpiled available for you, your pets, and your loved ones in case of any unexpected disaster, whether that be another pandemic, worldwide crop failures, food or fuel shortages, etc.

“If you fail to prepare, then prepare to fail”

This is one of my favourite phrases and is very apt.

Being prepared, in my opinion, is sanity, not craziness. It is satisfying to know that, to some degree, I be largely self-reliant in keeping myself and my loved ones fed, watered, and protected thanks to my supplies and my preparedness. It’s actually quite a confidence-building and liberating feeling.

A Preppers TOP 3 must do starter list

1: Prepper Food

Stock up on an absolute minimum of one to three months of food and supplies. One month’s food and essential items will help you get through most “minor” events.   I stock up on all my usual favourites (tinned versions of my everyday favourites last longest, tinned veg being the obvious fresh food alternative), and I rotate these emergency food stores with my regular foods, thereby always rotating my supplies and ensuring the longest best before dates remain in my food stores.  Think of your prepper stores simply as your extended food pantry.

In my next post I will talk more about the Top Long-Life Foods to stockpile

This is a whole topic in itself.

Your Top 6 considerations when thinking what to buy

1. Does anyone in your family have allergies or special dietary needs?
2. Anyone vegetarian, vegan, etc?
3. Does anyone need food supplements?
4. Foods for infants, plus nappies, creams, etc.
5. Foods for your pets.
6. Which foods have the best protein or nutrients?

2: Water Considerations for Prepping

Buy bottled water in sealed containers and store them in a cool, dark place. Commercially sealed water bottles, stored properly, will remain fresh virtually forever! 

Personally, I like the 5-gallon water office cooler type bottles. You can even fit these with easy to use hand pumps to dispense directly from containers when needed.

As a rule of thumb, it is calculated that for water, an adult will require approx. 1 gallon / 4.5 litres of water every day, and that’s with them being super careful in using it.

TIP : Set up rainwater collection at your home, maybe even a series of connected water butts. Water is valuable, and rainwater can be boiled or filtered for drinking or used for washing clothes/dishes, etc. You can store a lot of water at home quite simply this way and in a very unobtrusive way

3: Home Security and Home Defence for Preppers

Sadly, if things ever get really bad and food shortage is out of control, then expect to get people or gangs wanting to get their hands on your supplies AT ANY COST….

So you need to prepare your home so it is better protected and easier to defend in case looting were ever to occur.

Your TOP 6 must do list for Home Security and Home Defence:

1. Loft Attic Space: Most looters would go straight to your kitchen for your food supplies, harder to reach loft spaces would largely be overlooked, especially if there was not an easy ladder to pull down (hint hint)
2. Buy a storage bed with hydraulic arms, gives massive under bed storage. You would be amazed at how much food can fit underneath a standard double bed. Yet, the bed still looks just like a regular bed, again easily overlooked by looters.
3. Underfloor cavities, behind wardrobes, etc. Anywhere you can create a hidden secret cache storage area.
4. Bury supplies in air and watertight containers in your back garden. For a large and serious cache, one of the best choices is to utilise a new plastic septic tank for this purpose.
5. Buy a good stock of candles for light if the power grid goes down. I’m not a big fan of using generators during times when things are so bad that looters are raiding homes and shops. A generator is noisy and needs ventilation, thus, making your home a very noticeable place. Instead, ensure your window blinds and curtain are blackouts to stop the light shining through.
6. Install CCTV and sensor lights. Only viable if power and Wi-Fi uninterrupted, but home security basics like these, in my opinion, should be installed regardless of everyday security.

I hope you enjoyed this first blog about how to begin your prepper journey. Leave a comment below and tell me your thoughts or ask any questions!

David