Prepping and Why It’s Not Crazy
Today I wanna talk about “prepping”. Now when I say prepping, I’m not talking about building an underground bunker and stocking it with 10 years worth of MREs and as much ammo and guns as will fit (although if you are inclined to do so, by all means proceed). No, when I talk about prepping I mean doing what every single government organization recommends…having one week minimum, and preferably 30 days, worth of food, water, medicine, and supplies to get every member of your family (including pets) through an emergency.
Now, when people think about needing emergency supplies they often go straight to big things like natural disasters, economic collapse, war, global pandemic, etc. And of course it would be helpful to have supplies in all of those situations, but let’s look at some everyday reasons a two week minimum of supplies is good to have on hand.
-Your spouse or child is in a serious accident and are hospitalized for a couple weeks. Do you really want to leave their side to go to the store?
-The family breadwinner is laid off. Sure, there’s unemployment benefits, but ask anybody who has ever been laid off how quickly those went into effect.
-Your entire household comes down with the flu at the same time. Would you rather stay at home and recuperate, or try to make it through the store without getting sick everywhere?
-You have a terrible run of bad luck, and are faced with a bunch of unexpected expenses, and finances are suddenly really tight. Do you wanna have to worry about buying groceries and medicine while also trying to pay your bills and the unexpected expenses?
These are just a few things that people experience every single day that prepping could be helpful for.
Now, let’s look at the big stuff and why it’s even more important to be prepared for those situations. In the examples above only you and your household are likely effected by the scenario. You could always call a good friend to go run your errands for you. That will still be more stressful than already being prepared, but it’s totally doable. But what about if the emergency is effecting you and everyone else in your town? You can’t ask your friends to drop things off, cuz they’ll be busy trying to buy the things they need. And all the annoying people you see on a normal day at Walmart? Well now they’re all at Walmart AT THE SAME TIME, and they’re all freaking out cuz they didn’t have anything ready either. We’ve all seen Black Friday sales, and that’s just for discounts on junk nobody needs, that’s not even for things to keep a family from going hungry. People do crazy things when they panic. How much nicer would it be to be at home, avoiding the panicked people and knowing you’ve already got everything you need for a month if you have to?
When I talk about prepping I normally get one of three reactions.
-The person is already prepping too and we discuss the things we have ready and the things we still need.
-The person laughs at me and offers a tinfoil hat. These people are annoying, but you can’t do much with them because they’re convinced nothing will ever happen. They think the whole thing is a joke.
-The person tells me they refuse to be afraid all the time. These people are completely selfish, because they admit that these things are possible, and therefore scary, but they refuse to do anything about it. They intend to rely on everyone else if something happens.
In a real world SHTF (S*** Hits The Fan) situation the people who “refuse to be afraid” are going to be terrified. They’ve already admitted those scenarios were too scary for them to even think about before they happened. What do you think is going to happen when they’re actually living it? They’re going to run to the store as quick at they can. They’re going to empty the shelves because they’re afraid and have no plan. They’re going to cause false shortages as they all buy up things without any real thought to what they actually need. They’re going to selfishly hoard anything and everything they possibly can instead of leaving some for other people. Fear makes people stupid.
The “jokers” who offered tinfoil hats? They aren’t even going to make it to the store to hoard stuff. By the time they realize that things are actually serious and they need supplies, the scared crowd will have already emptied the stores. They’re going to be in a real bind because they didn’t even manage to panic buy like the other group. They are going to have to completely rely on others to meet their needs.
And the people who were fellow preppers? What will they be doing in a real world SHTF situation? One of two things, depending on their personality and the type of emergency. They will either be laying real low, hunkered down with their supplies hoping to ride it out without drawing any attention. Or they will be out helping their neighbors by sharing what they’ve been putting away for years. The one thing they won’t be doing is contributing to the panic and chaos. They won’t be out there smacking people trying to get the last can of soup. They won’t be a drain on government resources if the government does come to help. And they won’t be begging their neighbors to help their children. They will be the helpers.
So I get it…thinking about the situations that could cause you to need stuff can be scary. But do you want to be a little nervous now, when you don’t actually have need of the supplies, or do you want to wait until things go to crap and you’re terrified that you won’t get what you need? In the event you want to start now, I’m going to give you a basic list of things to have on hand for emergencies. I’m also going to add links to agencies, and their preparedness lists, so you can get more information.
THINGS TO HAVE ON HAND
-WATER
1 gallon per person per day. Store both bottled water and get filtration devices if you can.
-FOOD
Do not buy a bunch of things your family won’t eat, it’s wasteful and will make the emergency feel even more dreadful as you’re eating stuff you don’t like. Get some ready to eat foods like canned soup. Get some easy to carry things like granola bars. Don’t forget coffee if you can’t live without it. Add some treats like candy to keep kids happy. If you buy beans and rice, put them in the freezer a few days before storing in an airtight container to kill any pantry bugs that would destroy your food. Rotate these foods as part of your normal meals so they don’t go bad sitting on a shelf.
-MEDICINE
If your family is on any daily medication that they can’t do without, ask your doctor for a prescription for an extra 30 day supply to have on hand for emergencies. Your insurance likely won’t pay for it, but you don’t want to be without meds in an emergency. Another option is to refill meds as early as your insurance will allow (usually 5 days) and slowly start to build up a small stash of these meds. Also stock normal things like pain reliever, vitamins, cold/diarrhea/allergy meds. If you have a baby you’ll need diapers and wipes. And don’t forget about things like toothpaste and other personal hygiene items, they may not be life or death, but you’ll appreciate having them.
-SUPPLIES
Put these things together somewhere in maybe a tote or backpack or something. Batteries, flashlight, matches, lighters, first aid kit, candles, gloves, face masks, baby wipes, small toolkit, battery/hand crank radio, pencil/paper, hand sanitizer, a bit of extra cash.
The things above will get you started. And think about your specific family, and your specific situation and add things to it. The links below will give you more ideas of things to keep on hand for an emergency. It’s never about being afraid. It’s about being prepared.
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/hemophilia/documents/familyemergencykitchecklist.pdf
Prepare For Emergencies | Be Red Cross Ready | Red Cross
Are You Ready? An In-Depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness | FEMA.gov
Plan Ahead for Disasters | Ready.gov
Information on Specific Types of Emergencies|Emergency Preparedness and Response