Prepping and Survival Skills You Simply Must Know About
There are lots of reasons people make mistakes when first
beginning their prepping journey. One of the main ones is that it is rushed
into with very little planning put into place first.
Really though, the lack of information is usually at the
root of every mistake made. That’s good news, because it’s easy to get your
hands on information these days! While there are some places that have faulty
information, you should be able to discern, sooner than later, between the good
and the bad.
To kick-start your momentum, we’re going to offer you some
tips right now that will help you with your prepping and hopefully catapult you
into your own research. Remember, do what’s right for you and yours, and you
will have successfully prepped. It’s just that simple.
Live Below Your Means
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| Pinching pennies pays off! |
We live in a day and age where the American dream seems to
be the rule of the land for most people. Everyone wants a college degree, a
home on some land, a new car, a couple of credit cards and plenty of money in a
savings account in case anything goes wrong. While some of this makes great
sense, in a real emergency scenario, much of this will no longer matter.
We could spend pages and pages explaining all the things
that could go wrong and wind up causing you to leave the home, land and
vehicles behind. We could talk at length about banking systems and what can
ultimately happen to your money. However, we’ll leave that topic for another
day.
The point is, in order to do your best prepping, living
below your means is incredibly important. It’s tempting, I know, to put tons of
prepping supplies on a credit card and feel accomplished. However, it’s better
still to be frugal and save money that can be used on those supplies instead.
If you’ve never lived in a frugal manner before, the task
might seem daunting at first. In this case, don’t make all the major changes
all at once, but rather pick one a week. Over time, you will have moved into a
lifestyle that allows you to save a lot more money than you ever thought you’d
be able to.
The Important of Water Cannot Be Stressed Enough
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| Saving water is important too. |
The fact is, you will last a whole lot longer without food
than you will without water and in an emergency, you will use a whole lot more
of it than you think you will. Keep in mind that you will not only be drinking
water, but bathing in it, washing your dishes in it, providing hydration for
any pets you might have, and more.
So the two or three gallons per week per person that most
agree you have to have is really only for drinking purposes. Figure in much
more than this for other things, especially if you are on the move and won’t be
staying in one place for long at a time.
There has been a lot of discussion as to what the best
storage containers for water are. Try to stay away from the bottles that
single-serve drinking water actually comes in. Experts agree you shouldn’t even
reuse these because chemicals from the plastic will leach into the water and
can make you sick.
Empty milk jugs are another go-to container for many
preppers, but this could be a bad idea overall as well. If you’re not
carefully, you might not get all of the residue from the milk cleaned out. This
gives a perfect environment for bacteria to grow in your water, eventually
resulting in you or your family getting sick. Food grade containers, especially
those made specifically for storing water, are the best.
Another important note on this topic is that you don’t have
to go out and purchase water. It’s just as easy, over time, to catch and store
your own. Again, we suggest using the right containers because safety is of the
utmost importance in an emergency situation.
Don’t Store What You Won’t Use
Sometimes, you might come across a deal on canned goods that
just seems too good to pass up. Perhaps it’s spinach or artichoke hearts. My
advice in this situation is to think before you buy! Filling the shelves of
your emergency pantry might be important to you, but if you buy foods your
family won’t eat, you are wasting money, plain and simple.
It’s more than ok to pass on items like this and just wait
for sales on foods that will be used. This way, not a penny is wasted, nothing
will have to be thrown out because it wasn’t eaten, and in the event that there
is no emergency, years down the road, you can serve it for a regular meal.
Rotate Your Emergency Pantry
If you haven’t already done so, make sure to keep a running
inventory of all the food items you have in your prepper’s pantry. One of the
most important pieces of information to keep on this inventory is the
expiration date of each item. Of course, the expiration date isn’t the “magic
day” on which that particular item goes bad, but it’s a good rule of thumb to
stick to.
If you’ve had food stored for a while and find yourself
nearing an expiration day, go ahead and serve that item for a meal. Then simply
replace it with the same thing, or with something similar. It all depends on
your desire for the contents of your pantry.
The Importance of Regular Exercise
It’s not always first on the list that you need to be in
shape in the event of a large-scale catastrophe. However, if something were to
happen, it’s likely that there would be a great deal of moving, hiking, lifting
and more to be done. All that involves strenuous physical labor, and if you’re
not in shape, you might be in trouble.
Even spending a few minutes on a treadmill a couple of times
a day will help. If you’re able to do more, by all means, do it. Regular
exercise benefits you every single day and in some cases, can stave off illness
and certain diseases that are linked to being out of shape.
In Closing
Just remember, you don’t have to do everything in a day, a
week or even a month. The fact that you are getting started is the most
important thing. And so is finding quality information you can trust to help
you make all the right decisions.
Hopefully, if you find yourself in the midst of an
emergency, these tips will have helped you get a decent start on the right
things. Good luck and happy prepping!
