Prepping for Full Time Outdoor or Mostly Outdoor Living

You may not ever need to commit to living outdoors/off the grid or without power and running water full time, for the long haul, but if you prepare for that, you'll also be prepared for the inevitable short term periods of power, water, or gas outages, which can be caused by any number of things, and will also be prepared for worst case.  

 

This post will most likely be edited plenty, over time, but it's good enough to post as-is, for now. 

 

A few things to keep in mind right off the bat

• Being prepared beforehand, all the time, is always key! 
• This means always having certain things on hand, and USING them regularly.
  
• The time to find or learn to use your gear is NOT when you need it most!

If you don't already have it, start building up a full complement of good, rugged camping gear. You don't have to break the bank, and it doesn't have to be expensive stuff. LOTS of what you need can be found second hand, or for cheap at discount stores. Good doesn't have to mean expensive.

There are a few basic necessities which we all need for survival, and a few more that make surviving FAR more pleasant.

Shelter/Protection From Elements

If you're bugging in, you already have basic shelter, so you just need to take steps to make it as secure from the elements and other hazards as possible. If you already have measures in place to block or take advantage of the sun, cold, wind, etc, perhaps to save on your electric bill - things like solar panels, blackout shades, vent turbines, or similar, you're already mostly set in this area. If not, there are simple things you can do, like sealing around windows and unused doors with plastic and tape, to keep out the cold and wind, insulated curtains to keep out cold or heat, and blackout panels (purpose built or DIY) to keep out heat and/or block inside light from showing outside. You can tape foil or mylar sheeting to the windows facing, out, and further insulate with cardboard, newspaper, foam, extra blankets, or whatever else is handy to get similar effects to the ready made blackout panels/curtains. I'm not going to go into further detail on these options, but I'll likely eventually add posts further detailing them, and, in the meantime, you can easily do an internet search on any of the above and learn more.

If you're bugging out to a location that doesn't already have established shelter, unless you are in a very mild climate, you'll want to make setting that up your very first priority, before food, fire, or even water. Even if you're in a mild or moderate area, you'll still want to at the very least have a tarp or something to shield from rain and condensation (dew).

The nicest thing, short of actually constructing some sort of building, is going to be a large tent that is big enough to stand up in, and has space for cots or double high air mattresses and maybe a small table and camp chair (coolers also make good seating or side tables), but start with whatever you can afford and fit in your vehicle (or wagon or carry with you, if walking). Most of my regular camping supplies live in my primary vehicle, full time, except when in use, and that has been the case as long as I've been driving. That means that even if I had to get out of my house RIGHT NOW, with no time to grab anything not right at hand, and drive away, I would have all my basic needs met rather comfortably for quite some time. I have a big ol' van now, so have upgraded some things, because I can, but even with a compact car, you can fit a lot if you plan and pack well.

Even a tiny tube tent, hammock tent, tarp lean to, debris shelter, or just a bivvy sack is better than no shelter at all, so start with bare basics in every category, and then upgrade as you can based on your priorities and specific needs.

Water

The general standard for survival situations is at least one gallon per person, per day of water for drinking and absolutely necessary sanitation. That is not allowing for any real measure of comfort or anything else beyond not dying before rescue or resumption of services, and is based on staying put and not exerting yourself any more than absolutely necessary. That isn't something that you will be able to maintain more than a few days without some serious consequences.

This means you should really keep a bare minimum of five gallons of potable water (per person) in a sealed container at all times. More is better. Water containers are cheap and don't take up that much room. You can use plain old tap water if you are on municipal supply in most places. I recommend a lot more than that, and rotating by routinely using what you have in containers (get the ones with spigots, like this - they stack well and are almost as convenient as a regular sink) and refilling them, to keep it fresher. The collapsible containers are good to have on hand too, but are better for shorter term storage and use.

Conserve water by reusing as much as you can. Use the same water you used for boiling veggies for other cooking. Collect water in a bucket or pot under your handwashing station to pre-wash your dishes or to wash clothing. Use the last batch of rinse water for the next batch of wash water. Dip cleaning cloths into a container of water, instead of using "running" water, etc. Look for an upcoming post solely dedicated to conserving water in a SHTF situation. It will be linked here once it is finished, and some of the longer portions of this post (cleaning stuff, mostly) will be moved there.

If you have to bug out, a roof rack on your vehicle is a really good place for those water containers (and lots of other things), so if you don't have a roof rack already, install one! It nearly doubles your vehicle's storage and hauling space. It may not look sleek or cool, but you'll be glad you did the first time you put it to good use, whether in a bug out situation, or just hauling home something big and bulky. I'll get into larger filtration and purification systems in other post(s) as well, but you should also already have some kind of emergency filter system, like a Mini Sawyer System, Lifestraw, Seychelle bottle, etc. If you don't, get at least one. Do it now! Don't wait!

Fire, Food, and Cooking

You're going to need a way to heat water for drinking, cooking, and cleaning, and to cook food. That means some kind of fire. There are LOTS of options available, like propane, butane, charcoal, alcohol, chemical tablets, etc, and I'll address that in another post, all about outdoor kitchens and emergency cooking, but you should still know how to build and use the oldest and most basic - a campfire. 

If you don't know how to build a proper fire, LEARN NOW!!
Seriously. Start with dry/cured wood, ideal tinder and kindling, and actual matches or lighter, then go from there to learn with less favourable conditions. Learn to do it with no additional accelerants, and minimal matches or lighter use. If the lighter gets too hot, you're taking too long. Everyone in my girl scout troop learned to make a one match fire (as in, laying a proper fire setup with tinder, kindling, and initial fuel and having a full on campfire going from that, using only one match, with no accelerants) within a single 4 day weekend, decades before Google or YouTube. If a bunch of 8 and 9 year olds can do it, so can you!! There are a lot of really good bush-craft channels on YouTube that will show you dozens of efficient ways to build a good fire. They all involve proper use of tinder, kindling, fuel, and airflow, but, from there, lots of options. Go do some searching, and then follow up with practising. 

Your fire can also enable you to use hot water bottles or heated bricks/rocks to help stay warm at night.

*Note: Wet/river rocks should be heated very slowly, at the edges of the fire until they are totally dry, or they can explode.
Exploding rock shards hurt!

I strongly advise having at least one good pair of leather firepit/welding gloves on hand. they make it so you can pick up hot pots or Dutch ovens, pick up and move around coals/burning logs, use hot fire tools, etc with no problem. Bonus: They ALSO double as general work gloves to protect you when cutting brush/thorns/brambles, handling splintery wood, sharp rocks or other rough/sharp surfaces, handling biting or clawing animals, and all kinds of other things. Just get some!!

Make sure you have at least a couple of basic, fire safe cooking pots/pans. I highly recommend using cast iron for most cooking and always having a stainless steel or aluminium kettle/coffee pot on hand anyway, for many reasons, but even if you aren't ready to do that, make sure you have a cast iron Dutch oven and good sized skillet (if they are both the same diameter, the lid will be interchangeable), and a pot or kettle for boiling water.  

Start using and cooking the most perishable foods in your refrigerator first. If the power is out more than 24 hours, you'll end up having to toss a lot of what you don't use up before it spoils, unless it's cold enough outside to keep foods cold. Meats will generally stay good a little longer if you cook them. Fresh veggies last longer raw. 

Don't open your fridge or freezer more than once a day, and keep coolers in the shade and/or under a reflective tarp if it's warm weather.

Most foods in a well stocked freezer should be safe for 72 hours, but you'll need to cook and re-freeze or use stuff pretty soon. 

Smoking, curing, and dehydrating foods can preserve them for longer.

A multi-fuel generator is an investment worth its weight in gold, and the fuel can last a long time if you only run it an hour or two a day to run your fridge/freezers and charge devices. You can also use it to charge a Yeti Power Station or similar at the same time, and have power for things like CPAPs/BIPAPs charging phones, portable phone chargers, emergency radios, batteries, etc. And, of course, solar panels are a very good thing to have on hand. Goal Zero makes some really awesome, compact ones that fold out and can continuously charge a power station and keep you at least minimally powered.

Hygiene and Sanitation

Since you likely have a limited water supply, unless you happen to be right next to a body of water, you need to be able to strike a really good balance between cleanliness and conservation. I mentioned a few ways to save water earlier in the post, but I'll add a few specifics here. 

Dishes & Food surfaces

For washing your dishes, you should have three tubs. They only need to be big enough to accommodate a few dishes at a time, and they don't need to be changed unless they get too gross (or soapy, for rinse water) to do the job. NOT too gross for you to feel nice. Wash water can be pretty murky and have floaties and still get dishes clean!

• Wash tub: Should contain 1-2 drops dish soap per gallon of water. Too much soap will waste rinsing water and soap! You don't need a bunch of suds. Heating optional. It's nice, especially in cold weather, but not necessary.
  

 Scrape off as much food stuff as possible before putting in wash water, so you don't have to change it so often. If you have pets, they can be great for "prewashing" for you. (Just make sure you know what foods are unsafe for your pet type!) Let soak if needed, and scrub dishes clean in the wash water. Swish around in the water to remove as much soap as possible before rinsing.

• Rinse tub: Plain water. 

 Rinse well by swishing. You don't want soap in your bleach water, or it will keep it from doing its job as well.

• Sanitise tub: Cool water with 1 Tbs unscented chlorine bleach per gallon of water - Enough to submerge dishes.
  

 Soak each batch of dishes for at least one full minute, then air dry completely (Don't rinse again. The bleach will evaporate). A dunk bag is really handy for this. You can put the rinsed dishes in the bag, then dunk in sanitise tub, so you don't have to reach your hand in bleach water, then hang the bag from your line*, and not worry about dishes taking up surface space or getting knocked off a table or whatever. Note that you need the coarse weave mesh for this, not the super fine mesh, to allow for the right amount of air and water flow.

 

For cleaning food surfaces, dip a dish rag in your wash tub and wring out to clean, then dip another (dedicated for this step) in your sanitising tub, wring out, wipe down, and allow to air dry.  

*Speaking of your line, this is a line of rope, twine, or cord, strung tautly from one stable point to another (trees, posts, side of the house, vehicles, whatever, as long as it's high enough to keep stuff off the ground), which you can use to hang all manner of things. Laundry, dishes, drying meats, fish, unruly children (KIDDING... sort of), lighting, etc. You will really want at least one line in your camp. Bonus - hanging stuff can double as shade/privacy.

Bathing

You don't need to take a shower or bathe every day, or even every week, and being dirty (with dirt) poses no sanitation hazards as long as you wash or sanitise your hands after anything that can cause bacteria spread and before handling food, and do a daily "sponge bath" of your hands, face, bits and pits. For that, you really only need about 8-12 oz per session, maximum! I'm a very large person, and I can get by with that much. Using a rough, terry cloth or microfiber washcloth is key for making this work. As mentioned above, instead of running/pouring a bunch of water, put some in a small container (I usually use an 8 oz metal, mess kit cup. I heat the water in that too, and it only takes a minute or less on a propane burner to get to a good temp) Dip your hands in to wet them, and work a SMALL amount of soap to a lather between your palms, and massage into each part you're going to wash. Next, dip your washcloth, wring it out back into the container, and use it to scrub and remove most of the soap, ideally starting with your face, then pits, then bits.  Dip the cloth again, but this time squeeze out into a secondary, grey water collection bucket. Get as much of the dirty water out as you can, then give another good dip and use, sopping wet, to do another scrub/rinse, squeeze into the grey water bucket, and then do one more dip, squeeze to grey, and give a last once over of yourself. Then rinse the cloth well in the grey water give it a good misting with your 5% bleach solution, and hang it in the sun to dry.

Hand Washing

For just cleaning general dirt, grime, food during eating or food prep and whatnot, use a washcloth wet with just enough water to make it damp. For actual hand washing, which should definitely be done before food prep and after bathroom or handling any biohazards, setting up a hand washing station is best. Here is a link to the old school, Girl Scout method, using a gallon jug. I actually prefer using one of the aquatainers with the spigot, and tying the soap bylon to the handle. Either way, be sure to put a collection bucket underneath to collect grey water to use for other things, and don't use your hand washing container for drinking water!

Laundry

As with bathing, you don't need to worry about washing most of your clothes, unless they get something REALLY nasty or hazardous on them. The exception is socks and underwear. And, of course, you'll need to clean your kitchen towels and linens. There are various ways to clean laundry. Plunger or hand agitate in a bucket, manual drum washers, etc, but my favourite for camping, travel, no power, etc is with this guy right here! I love it, and it has worked very well for me for years, in all kinds of situations. It's rather pricey though, and you can also use any dry bag to achieve similar results. It will take more work and not get stuff quite as clean, but it will work. Grey water from your handwashing station is perfect for initial wash water, and your old dish rinse water that is too soapy for dishes will be fine to rinse clothes. After you rinse your laundry, that water can be reserved for the next batch of laundry wash water, general cleanup, or lots of other things. Again, at some point, I'll be making a post that is JUST about water for SHTF situations, and I'll include more info there.

Clothing

Invest in some sturdy, utilitarian, fire resistant clothing and a good pair of combat/tactical boots. Even if you can't/won't make it your daily wear, you need to have it around. Again, it needn't be expensive. Cruise the thrift shops and get some good, thick jeans (not designer ones - work ones), Carhartts or decent Carhartt knockoffs in canvas/duck cloth, and a couple canvas, cotton flannel or wool long sleeve shirts. They are great for layering and are fire resistant. A good base layer (thermal underwear) in synthetic material (NOT cotton!) is a very good idea too.

 Carhartt makes all kinds of very durable outerwear (and inner-wear, and every other kind of wear!). If you can find any second hand, it will likely still be in good condition. If not, at least try to invest in a one of their jackets. I have this one, and it is super toasty warm, sturdy as hell, extremely fire resistant, and has stood up to all kinds of abuse for several years. I have never needed a warmer jacket, and that includes a cruise to Glacier Bay in Alaska in September, with many hours spent outside, on deck, and even in a storm with hella wind and 18-20 foot swells. Plus, I just think it looks sharp. 

Propper is another great brand for sturdy, utilitarian, every day wear, especially their TDUs. Do an Amazon search.They are my every day pants and shorts - literally all I wear when I'm not dressing up fancy or lounging at home. They can be pressed and creased and look sharp enough for business casual, or be bloused easily with a quick modification, and go the distance for anything you throw at them!

It's hard to find decent boots at the thrift store, but check these out! They are what I finally decided to try after I couldn't find the old (okay, fine - ancient now) style flight deck boots I had always preferred. I was sceptical, due to the amazing price, but took a chance based on all the even more amazing reviews, and now my only regret is not making the switch WAY earlier! 

I've got a fairly comprehensive list of good, outdoor clothing that I use, here.

Lighting

Ideally, you'll make the most of daylight, and get most things done then, but in the fall and winter months, you'll need to supplement. 

I prefer to have a variety of options available at need - candles/candle lanterns, oil lamps, propane lanterns, and led lanterns, tent lights, flashlights, and string lights, both solar and battery powered. If you live somewhere that reliably gets a lot more sun, you may be able to get by mostly with solar power, but I live in the Pacific Northwest, so not really something to count on.

For outdoor lighting, tiki torches are cheap, simple, and can use several variations of fuel. They can be especially handy when filled with citronella torch oil to keep mosquitoes away(you don't have to buy the special jugs of it if you keep citronella essential oil on hand. Just add a few drops to whatever fuel you're using). 

If you give your eyes time to actually adjust, you'll find you really need far less light than you may have expected, which means you can save on fuel/batteries, and create less of a beacon advertising your location far and wide. Instead of firing up everything on full brightness the second dusk hits, try letting your vision adjust with the setting sun, and only using the dimmest light necessary to get things done. Sure, sometimes full light is called for, but for most things, just finishing up dinner, sitting around conversing, or hanging out, there's no need for additional light at all, and even for getting up and walking around, especially if you've gotten to know the terrain well, you really won't need more than a dim glow. 

 

Practise Makes Better!!

Take your acquired gear and learning, and go camping (real camping, in the wilderness! Not some fancified camping resort that is more like a hotel where you sleep outside!) as often as you can. Practice set up and strike and ways to do all the day to day things. Get good at it.
Work out routines for setting up and striking camp, preparing meals, taking care of personal hygiene and camp sanitation, making firewood/supply/foraging runs, etc. Do it the same way, every time, other than making improvements here and there to make the routine better.

Whenever at all possible, stay for at least a week or two at a time. Most State and National Forest lands officially require you to move to a different area every two weeks, so you may have to strike camp and set up a few miles away, but many times, the Rangers will look the other way if you're not in a particularly popular area, are treating the land, wildlife, and resources right, and can assure them that you do have a regular, permanent address, and are not trying to take up full time residence on their patch. This can be ESPECIALLY true if you are friendly with them and let them know what you're doing. Some will be more than happy to give you some additional tips and resources too!

If you can't go camping, fake it. "Camp" outside in your yard, if you have one, or a friend or neighbour's yard if you don't. Even if those aren't options, you can still get some practice by doing utility outage drills regularly (Google it and/or look for a linked post here soonish). 

In summary, you can do several little things, starting right now, to get yourself ready to handle just about anything that comes your way, so don't put it off any longer. 

If you've got questions, or additional idea and information to add, please feel free to post them in the comments! (As long as it isn't spam for the sake of spam. Links to good gear is fine. Links to random BS will be deleted.)

 

 

Do you really need to bug out? (probably not)

 

We have our go bags, bug out bags and vehicles, plans, locations, checkpoints, drop points, and all, but the likelihood, for many of us, is that we will never actually have to  completely "bug out", or "get out of Dodge". 

That doesn't mean we shouldn't have them though, 

More likely, we'll run into some of life's little (or not so little) snags, and our preparations will make them into minor inconveniences or slight changes in plans, rather than major mishaps. 

Having a bug out/get home bag in your primary vehicle (whether or not that is also your BOV) means that if you get caught out somewhere with car trouble, severe weather, a closed, washed out, or otherwise blocked only way to your destination, or any other issue, you've got food, water, hygiene supplies, warm bedding of some kind, and extra clothing to see you through comfortably until you can get home. 
Even if you have the means to get a hotel for the night and eat out/order in whenever the need arises, and there happens to be something close enough to your location, and they have vacancies/are open, AND if they actually have all you technically need, even with no overnight bag or whatever, you are going to have a much nicer time if you have your own toothbrush, change of clothes (especially if yours got soaked or filthy), and something quick and easy to eat.

Having your go bag at the ready in an easy to grab spot in your home ensures that if you need to travel on short notice; maybe to babysit for a friend, fly to an ill or injured relative, take a colleague's place at a convention, or even get invited to an event on short notice, not to mention any number of other possible scenarios, you only have to throw a few trip specific items in, if anything, rather than spend your limited time packing at the last minute. Then you can spend the time you have on making sure other things go smoothly, and avoid extra stress, knowing you have everything you need, because you weren't packing at the last minute, probably haphazardly, and almost definitely forgetting at least one important item. And don't forget the go bags/inclusions for pets and kids too, whether they are going with you, or have to be picked up by or dropped off with a sitter or something on your way to your destination!

So, just like I say in my more comprehensive, It's probably not the Zombie Apocalypse post, from a few years ago, "being prepared frequently means the  difference between an emergency or survival situation and an inconvenience. In true disaster conditions, it can mean the difference between surviving and not."

You CAN afford a deep freezer, and you probably have room for one if you're not homeless

A deep freezer is worth its weight in gold; Maybe even worth its filled weight in gold!

Why?
Because when you have one, you can buy in bulk at massive savings, always have meal ingredients on hand without frequent trips to the store, have plenty of delicious, healthy, home cooked meals ready to heat and eat at pennies a serving, and never have to worry about running out of things, even if you can't get to the store (or the store shelves are all bare! Like... I dunno, maybe during a global pandemic?) for a while - even weeks or months at a time! Most properly packaged foods stored at 0°F or less (Home deep freezers will be somewhere around the -6°F range) can be stored indefinitely, without losing their original flavour or quality
(Freezer burn is the result of improper packaging, not deep freezing!).

There are a lot more details and reasons to add, but those are for other posts. This post is to help you figure out how you can reap those benefits, even on a budget (Yes, even in qualify for food assistance level poverty budget!) and/or living in tight quarters. 
It IS doable in most situations!

The first step is to figure out where you could put one. 
If you get an upright, it will take up about the same space as a small card table or easy chair/recliner. That isn't much, considering the benefits.
Be creative. It doesn't have to be in the kitchen, or even indoors, necessarily! It can go in a corner of the living/dining room, or bedroom, on a porch, patio, or balcony, in the yard, driveway, garage, in a in a storage closet/shed, etc. As long as you can run an appliance extension cord to it and there is around six inches of air space around it, it's all good! 
If it goes outside, it's a good idea to protect it from the weather, but not mandatory. If you are worried about it being unsightly or getting flack from management for having it outside/on your patio or balcony, you can easily and cheaply disguise it with a couple sheets of garden lattice and some 2x4s to make a frame, or you can even go extra simple, foldable, and portable by zip-tying the lattice pieces to one another. Put a couple potted, trailing plants (real or fake) on top, and it will look like a mini garden project. 

There are also a couple other DIY disguise ideas running around the internet. Here's one originally using a small fridge, but easily used for a freezer. There are custom made fridge wraps available, but you can get the same effect with a $20 shower curtain or two! 
Again, get creative and make it your own! You've got this. I have faith in you!

While chest style freezers are usually cheaper and slightly more energy efficient (in theory), an upright will be MUCH easier to keep organised, so you can get to things quickly, meaning it is not hanging open for extended periods of time, thus negating any energy savings. Since they take up less floor space, and you can store things on top of them too, that is like double space saving, and, using one is way better on your back!

A brand new one, if you get about the largest home model, will run you around $600-$800, which is a lot, BUT will easily save you at least that much in the first two years or less. 
If that price point is unattainable, even with saving up or (ugh!) renting to own (A freezer is about the only item I feel is worth going the rent to own route. That's how important I think they are.), look for dented/floor models to get significant savings on a new unit, go a little smaller, and/or check local want ads, Craig's List, Freecycle, and Buy Nothing to see if anyone is selling one at a price you can afford or even giving one away. You'd be AMAZED at the things people are willing to give away for free or sell massively cheaply.  



The bottom line is that, for lots of reasons, especially if you're poor, you can't afford NOT to do your best to get a deep freezer.

Why you should have a BBQ grill, camp stove, and/or fire pit even if you never camp

So, the title is pretty self explanatory!

Everyone should have outdoor cooking supplies, even if you have NO interest whatsoever in camping, picnicking, or cooking out.

Why?

Because when the power and/or gas goes out, even if it's short term, you'll still be able to cook, and if it's a longer lasting outage, you can use fire to preserve your perishable foods. 

Sure, you might be able to just eat sandwiches or go out to eat if your power is out, but what if the power is out because of downed trees, heavy storms, or other inclement weather? Even if you can drive or walk anywhere, are restaurants going to be open? If the outage is widespread or roads are dangerous or impassable, that answer is going to be a no for anything nearby, and the closest places that are open will likely be mobbed, so there will be long wait times, overcrowding, and they will run out of things. 

Another thing to consider is that when things go wrong, people tend to panic. Panicked people can do some pretty stupid shit!

You'll be much better off avoiding all the hassle and staying at home, where you can have a home-cooked, hot meal without a whole lot more hassle than cooking indoors. 

Just about anything can be cooked on a grill or fire, and often tastes better than conventional methods! 
This includes desserts, breads, soups, stews, vegetables, casseroles, and pretty much anything you can think of. 

If you don't believe me, just pick any dish that you think won't work and do a search for "grill recipe". I bet you'll find it! And if you don't, let me know in the comments, and I'll be shocked if I can't find or create one for you. (Yes, that did look like a challenge, didn't it?)

Oh, and just FYI, since I strongly suspect many of you are going to go straight for the "you can't do baked Alaska on the grill" challenge, think again. Google just gave me About 835,000 results in 0.32 seconds.

Nexxxxxxt? ;-)

"Preppers"? Isn't that the same as survivalists? Those guys are nuts! (The truth about emergency preparedness)

In "my day" (meaning, before I turned into an old fogey), we called them survivalists. Nowadays, the more common term is, "prepper".

 The thing they have in common though, is that, for many people, the words bring to mind a rather specific sort of image - paranoid, grizzly, scary looking mountain men packing lots of automatic weapons and hiding out in underground bunkers or high security compounds, cults, crazy cult leaders and mass suicides/homicides, meekly cowering multiple wives, children, and child brides, all waiting expectantly for  society to collapse.

Recently, there has been a renewed interest in what is now known as "prepping", and I think this is mostly a good thing (with a few caveats).

More and more websites are popping up, catering more to the everyday citizen interested in being prepared for ... well, whatever. Again, a VERY good thing, IMO.

I never thought of myself as a survivalist, and I don't think of myself as a prepper now. I was just raised to always be prepared for anything. I've had a go bag and emergency supplies as long as I can remember. My parents taught me how to survive in the wilderness as well as at home without power, plumbing, transportation, etc. I learned a huge amount of what I know as a child, in Girl Scouts, Young Marines, and military school. I've been going out into the woods with only what I could carry on my person for a couple weeks at a time since I was 12. It was just normal.

I always thought the "survivalists" were just as crazy as most other people did, and was VERY clear all my life that I was NOT one of "those crazies", despite the fact that I had a lot in common with "them".  The fact of the matter is, I was then, and still am a "survivalist/prepper/whatever we're calling it this decade", and so are LOTS of perfectly sane, level headed, everyday people!

It's all about mindset...

There are all sorts of things that can and do go awry in day to day life. Those things run the gamut from mildly inconveniencing to big time catastrophic, but even just a few actions, taken now, can turn many catastrophes into inconveniences, or at the very least, survivable situations.  You don't have to buy property in the boonies or stock up on all the latest survival gear to be prepared for life's curve balls. Now, I will admit that once you start, it's very common to get more serious about it, and you'll likely find yourself taking more steps to ensure your and your family's survival, and even comfort during a crisis of any sort, but even small steps will give you an edge and make your life easier when things go wrong! 

You're probably already doing several things all the time for emergency preparedness that you haven't even thought about whilst reading this post.

Do you wear a seatbelt? Do you wear or have a PFD on hand when boating? Do you have smoke detectors and fire extinguishers in your home? Do you carry a jacket, sweater, or umbrella when the forecast calls for the possibility of rain or cold? Do you have jumper cables in your car?

All of these things are "just in case" measures. We aren't expecting a car crash or fire every second of the day, but we prepare for them anyway. "Prepping" is no different! 

If you read this entire post, rather than simply blowing it off as more paranoid rantings, you're already ahead of more than half of the population. Now, why not do some searches on emergency preparedness and see what you find? Focus on the realistic stuff. Don't worry about the stuff that doesn't apply, because, well, it doesn't apply!

The value of a well stocked larder (every day preps)

(Updated 2020.02.11)

 

Whether you live in a tiny apartment or trailer, a huge house, or anything in between, storing up food (and supplies) for the "lean times" is a big part of essential preparedness.

Being prepared isn't just about preparing for some major disaster and having to go into lockdown/bug in mode. It's also about being ready to deal with the hardships and unexpected wrinkles that occur in everyday life.
The trick is to expect anything, so you won't ever be taken by surprise when life throws you one of its little (or big) curve balls.

Let me tell you a little story...

As has always been my habit, I generally buy a bit more food and supplies than what is needed every time I go grocery shopping, and I purchase many things, including personal care and household sundries in bulk, especially when they are on sale cheap.
At one point, years ago, after I split with my ex husband, I ended up renting rooms in my house to 4 good friends, so I could still afford to live there. Of course, I had quite a bit of food stored up in the basement pantry and deep freezer, as well as extra bottles of shampoo and conditioner, bars of soap, toilet paper, diapers, baby wipes (my youngest was still a toddler), and other stuff that really needs to NOT run out, like, ever.
Even with all that extra food and supplies, I continued to do the regular shopping as though there was nothing, rotate out the older stuff and store away the new, and add more to the stockpile whenever I could.

The rest of my new household often scoffed at my habits, and told me I was totally going over the top. They shook their heads every time I got on anyone's case to not waste my food and supplies, or dig into the "excess" instead of buying their own, regular, monthly food and whatever, always refusing to accept any of the "but there is PLENTY" arguments.They had all kinds of funny quips at the ready, regarding my "crazy, survivalist" habits. It was all in good fun, but they weren't really joking. Neither was I.

Well, time came when we were all out of work for a couple months. Times were especially hard all over, and the food banks were pretty short on supplies too. Lots of people were living on half rotten potatoes, stale bagels, rice, beans, and not much else. People were willing to trade valuable (in better times) items for a couple bags of plain, white rice or dried beans, of which I already had more than enough, so could trade our share for all sorts of things that wouldn't go as far, but would add variety and more flavour and freshness to our diets. 
This era would later be known as "The Great Recession".

We did fine though. We had regular meals of good, healthy food every day. We didn't have to ration things, because there was enough to last a good 3-4 months before we hit the "mandatory rationing" cap. (for me, that is the point at which only 2 months of food/supplies remain without rationing). We didn't have to choose between paying for food and necessary items or housing and utility costs with what we could make doing day labour, because we were prepared.

Eventually, we all got back on our feet, and let me tell you; This time, when it was time to start replenishing the stores, EVERYONE was VERY much on board with my plans and system.

Anyone can fall on hard times for any number of reasons outside of their control!

How long will you be able to provide for yourself and your family if you suddenly lose your job, get injured and can't work, or some other unforeseen circumstance?

Don't guess! 

Take out the calculator (if you're reading this, you have one at your fingertips) and actually do the maths. Figure out how much food you need per day/week. Not just in terms of budget this time, but in terms of quantity. Now, start putting away extra food and supplies along with the money I hope you are putting away "just in case" (if you are able)!

Look for a future post with some tips on how to get that larder/pantry/storage shed, or whatever well stocked!

Here is one:

Kitchen/Pantry Bare Essentials ~ Where to Begin and How to Use Them (every day preps)

Redundancy - why is it important?

Happy Solstice everyone! I hope the summer is gearing up for good times and lots of opportunities to test your gear out in the wild. 


I catch a lot of flack from people about having umpteen different kinds of water filters and purifiers, fire starting methods, flashlights, power sources, knives, other weapons, first aid supplies, and various other duplicated and/or overlapping gear, and for having "kits' at several different locations where I am likely to be, as well as having what many think is a ridiculous amount of stuff that I keep with me all the time.

The thing is though, when the chips are down, if something fails, you most likely won't be able to just run to the store or wait for backup. You need to have backup already in place, NOW, before some disaster happens. When the SHTF, whether you and your family make it through the night, the week, or the month depends on having stuff that works, where you can access it, the skills to use it, and a well practised plan. If it's cold and you're hungry, thirsty, tired, and there are predators about (and there WILL be at some point, whether of the human variety or otherwise), you need a fire, clean water, sustenance, and protection ASAP, and if one thing doesn't work, you need an immediate plan B, C, or D, that you already know how to use and can count on!

Not only that, but you can't count on the shit hitting the fan at a convenient time and place. You may not be able to get to your vehicle. You may be away from home...
 
The list goes on! The point is that you may not be able to access your main supplies, and should have supplies at least sufficient to get you home (or to where more stuff is securely stored) wherever you are.

Remember, Two is one and one is none!!

This really can't be stressed enough!

And don't make the mistake of thinking that being prepared is some kind of doom & gloom, apocalyptic scenario, crazy people living in a compound somewhere thing. It's not just nuclear meltdowns, terrorist attacks, catastrophic natural disasters, and the like you need to think about. It's things as simple as having your car break down in a deserted area with no cell signal, being stranded by inclement weather, a storm knocking your power out and/or a tree through your roof, or any number of things that are temporary and completely survivable, as long as you are prepared for them.