But whatever the reason, suddenly, you know in your heart that you need to prepare for a different type of future, just in case.
Where on earth do you even start with something like that?
Start with information
Before you start making enormous purchases or moving your family to a bunker, take some time to learn.
Information.
That is the key that unlocks the door to preparedness.
When you begin reading websites about prepping, sometimes it can be overwhelming. You see people talking about their one-year food supplies, their bug-out lodges, their ammo collection, and their homestead that is so far out in the wilderness that they have to climb a big pine tree on top of the mountain to get an internet connection (where they then boast online about their seclusion on a prepper forum).
Most preppers are just regular folks with a self-reliant mindset.
Getting started does not require a $20,000 investment or your children feverishly packing beans and rice into Ziplock bags late into the night. It requires enough information to properly assess your situation. It requires some guidance to help you develop a plan to keep your family safe, housed, and fed, regardless of what comes in the future.
So I want you to do three things. First, bookmark some websites. Second, begin building your preparedness library with books. Finally, create your own reference book from the information you're collecting.
#1. Bookmark these preparedness websites. (Free)
The internet is a wonderful place, and best of all, this knowledge can be found for FREE! The more you know about crisis situations, the more ready you will be to face them. Some sites are friendlier to beginners than others, so if you stumble upon a forum where people seem less than enthusiastic about helping people who are just starting out, don't let it get you down. Move on and find a site that makes you feel comfortable. Following are some of my favorites, and the link will take you to a good starting point on these sites. In no particular order:
Some sites are friendlier to beginners than others, so if you stumble upon a forum where people seem less than enthusiastic about helping people who are just starting out, don't let it get you down. Move on and find a site that makes you feel comfortable. If you see them utter the words, "If you aren't already prepared, it's too late," run, don't walk, away from them. No one needs that kind of doom and gloom. It's stressful, unhelpful, and honestly, kind of mean. Plus, I firmly believe it's never too late as long as you just get started.
Following are some of my favorites, and the link will take you to a good starting point on these sites. In no particular order:
- The Organic Prepper (obviously!)
- Ready Nutrition
- Graywolf Survival
- SHTFplan
- Underground Medic
- Survival Blog
- Backdoor Survival
- The Survival Mom
- Herbal Prepper
This is where some money could come into play. Most of the time, people in the preparedness world like to have hard copies of important information. This way, if the power goes out and you can't access the internet or recharge your Kindle, you still have access to vital advice.
Some of these books are for just such an event, while others are guides to building your self-reliance skills. Commit to picking up a good book each pay period until you have a library to reference during any type of scenario.
Be sure to check out used bookstores, libraries, and garage sales, too. Look for books that teach self-reliant skills like sewing, gardening, animal husbandry, carpentry, repair manuals, scratch cooking, and plant identification. You can often pick these up for pennies, and older books don't rely on expensive new technology or tools for doing these tasks.
- The Prepper's Blueprint: The Step-By-Step Guide To Help You Through Any Disaster (This is the be-all and end-all Bible of prepping. I wish I could put my own book first, but Tess's book is the most complete compendium out there, broken into easy, manageable steps.)
- The Pantry Primer: A Prepper's Guide to Whole Food on a Half-Price Budget (This is my newest book, which outlines building your pantry while on a strict budget)
- SAS Survival Guide: How to Survive in the Wild, on Land or Sea (I keep this little gem in my vehicle, my bug out bag, and in my kids' backpacks. It doesn't go into lots of detail, but if you find yourself stranded in the middle of nowhere, this small book could save your life.)
- The Encyclopedia of Country Living, 40th Anniversary Edition: The Original Manual of Living Off the Land & Doing It Yourself(A compendium of all things self-reliance)
- Prepper's Home Defense: Security Strategies to Protect Your Family by Any Means Necessary (If you can't protect it, you don't own it. It's that simple.)
- How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It: Tactics, Techniques, and Technologies for Uncertain Times (By James Wesley Rawles, who many consider to be the "Father" of the modern preparedness movement)
- The Prepper's Pocket Guide: 101 Easy Things You Can Do to Ready Your Home for a Disaster (Quick, inexpensive preparedness steps that anyone can take)
- The Survival Medicine Handbook: A Guide for When Help is Not on the Way (It's vital to have a guide on hand that doesn't rely on 911 for serious injuries, in the event that you're completely on your own)
- The Organic Canner (It's awesome to grow your food, but how will you make it last through the winter, particularly during an off-grid scenario?)
- The Complete Tightwad Gazette (While this book is about hardcore frugality, trust me, there's crossover. There are a lot of great suggestions for creating stockpiles on a budget, living simply, and doing things the old-fashioned way. And saving money is always a good idea, so that you can use it to help you become more prepared.)
#3. Start a notebook. (Free)
The next step is to create a preparedness binder. If you use a 3 ring binder (swipe your kid's school binder from last year for a freebie), you can print information from your favorite websites and keep it in the binder for future reference. You should also make your own section, with notes, lists, important phone numbers, and addresses. Add something with pockets to keep photocopies of ID, insurance documents, and physical maps in case GPS is not working.
Keep this in a safe, accessible place. In the event that you have to bug out, you should be able to grab this and take it with you. Some people keep a second copy of the binder in their vehicle with them, in case disaster strikes when they're away from home. If you do this, consider excluding your personal information from the travel binder, in case it gets stolen.
And....go!
If you're new to this, there's no better time to start than right this minute.
Start reading. Do all of the plotting and planning, and then put your plans into action as your budget allows.
Whatever you do, stop waiting around. Disasters won't wait until it's a convenient time for you.
If you have been at this for a while, please share your experience with newbie preppers in the comments below. If you have friends and loved ones you'd like to help get started, send them this article to start them on their journey. Help encourage people to join our community of self-reliance! By turning neighbors and loved ones into allies, you're building a team instead of burdening yourself with added responsibilities, or worse, having to turn them away later when they're desperate.
Bugging out into the wilderness is hardly an alternative however if there is a remote farmhouse in the family and you are on good terms that may be an alternative. Being in a city during a prolonged shut down of supply chains is not a good idea and all guns and ammo will get you is jail time. A bolt hole in rural France or Spain if you can afford it might be a good idea.
In the event of a financial collapse it would be wise to store enough basic food provisions sufficient to last six weeks. Keep some bottled water and purification tablets. It always rains here (esp. when there is a drought forcast) so it is not difficult to collect water. You can also shower outdoors and gain a few friends that way. A cheap generator and fuel to keep the fridge/freezer going is very wise. Basic dry goods such as rice, pasta beans and lentils and tins of food to make curries and pastas, enough to supply neighbours to some extent too. Get a barbeque and fuel for those unpleasant days when the power is off. Keep a good supply of cash in the house, and quick, before the banksters ban it. In the UK gold half sovereigns are a must. Anyone old enough to run a farm shop will recognise them. Stock up on pet food if you have a pet. Frozen cooking bacon, onion and potatoes (by the sack). Butter, olive oil and spices to spice things up. Learn how to make a lentil curry. Don't forget a few cases of canned tomatoes. Tins of rice pudding. Keep the fuel level in your car higher than usual.
After two or three weeks in the UK we will all be having street parties, so don't forget beer, wine and spirits. After all the fun is over we have a fifty year depresssion to look forwards to.
Learn to spell "Renmimbi".