This age old question can only be answered one way. Yes, you should be prepping. When I was only seven years old, my mother was canning from the garden and putting food in the cabinets for any unknown situation that may occur. I mean, everyone is secure in their jobs until they lose it. I started prepping in 2012 and am going pretty good at it. When I lost my job is 2016, the food I had and some necessities I needed came in handy at that time. Although I hated digging into my preps I’m glad they were there. The question is, What are you preparing for? Everyone should be preparing for an emergency such as a natural disaster at minimum.
What are we preparing for? What Should I Prepare For?
When it comes to prepping, the best thing you can do is keep it simple. There is one thing about prepping everyone should know before they even get started and that is that prepping can become a rabbit hole real quick if you let it.
To break this down in simple steps to get started preparing, we will start with a seventy-two hour prep that will help us get prepared for a natural disaster. The most likely thing to happen for in the short term is the power goes out for a few days. Trust me, this has happened locally a couple of winters ago and thing got a little on edge only a coupe days in. One town was without water for several days and that starts to cause a panic real quick.
Getting Started
There are important factors to remember when prepping. It is better to look at prepping as a hobby and things you would like to have in case something catastrophic happens rather than preparing for the end of the world. Once you start down this path as mentioned above, it can get overwhelming and become a rabbit hole if you let it.
Start A Prepping Plan
The first step is to create a prepping plan and know what you are prepping for. There are all sorts of scenarios you could need to prep for, so don’t get overwhelmed by which one you are going to get ready for. A lot of the prepping you will do will cover many other scenarios.
My suggestion is get a back pack or duffel bag. You are going to need something to hold the preps you will need for an emergency. Also think about anyone else in your family, they are all going to need a bag as well.
Prepare A 72 Hour Evacuation Bag
In case of an emergency that would require you to stay put for a few days or evacuate your home and not be able to return for a few days, you may have only enough time to grab the family and your evacuation bag.
Here is a list to help you get started and get you through the outage or until you reach your next location.
Remember, if you do not transfer this bag from your house to car everyday, you will need to keep a bag in your car as well.
Water
Water is the most essential element for survival. Without water, you will not survive for more than 3-4 days.
There are several ways to store water. For an emergency that requires you to stay put for a while, I recommend the water brick. each brick is enough water for one person for three days. The bricks stack nice and net for storage and are convenient for any emergency situation.
In case of an emergency that requires you to get out of the area quickly, it is more practical to pouch water in an emergency bag and even some purification tablets in case more water is needed on the go.
Food
The next essential item on our list is of course food. Although you could go a very long time without food and still survive, it would be hard to maintain the energy you would need being on the go. The normal recommended calorie intake for a normal day with normal activity is 2000 calories. It is recommended to go much higher in a situation that requires much more activity such as walking long distances.
For the emergency scenario that requires you to stay put for a bit, the food buckets are the best way to go. I recommend one of these for each person to sustain them up to 30 days.
Once gain for the emergency that may require a road trip or the hiking option, the pouches are definitely the way to get you there. Theses are three servings, but I consider then to be two meals.
For a food ratio on the go for a long distance hike, this bar is high calories and is recommended to get you through between meals or just a snack for when you are stuck in the basement for days and ran out of snickers. They will count for the calories and they are as bland and dry as they look. What you think they taste like is accurate.
So far we have covered the basics, food and water. The following items are recommended for the emergency travel bag. The bag that you would grab if you had to evacuate your home or just a bag to keep in your car if you got stuck out and needed to walk home for a long distance to make your way home.
First Aid Kit
Don’t cheap out on the first aid kit, the last thing you want if you are out for any period of time is to get a cut that has the possibility to become infected. You health must be sustained to make it to your destination.
The Recommended List Of Items To Complete Your Bug Out/Get Home Bag
Other Items Bug Out/Get Home Bag
- Toilet Paper
- Toothpaste/Brush
- Personal Hygiene Items
- Pocket Hand Warmers
- Wool Blanket
- Matches/Candles
- Gloves
- Radio
- Rain Poncho
It is important to get a sturdy backpack to hold these items. I recommend a military surplus bag. They are usually still in good shape and are tested for quality and durability.
Stay tuned to this site as we write more articles that will help you get to the more advanced stages of prepping.