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Advice for the new prepper. A continual thread of advice.
The past few years have seen a resurgence of new preppers in today’s world. Most don’t stick around, but some often do for the long haul. I know I always kind of half hearted prepped before “seeing the light” and starting to go at it on a more full time basis. But, like many, I was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of things needed to make it a lifestyle as opposed to a part time thing. And I feel that often this overwhelming part makes some potentially good preppers turn away as they cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel and give up out of frustration.
So why not a thread to give simple tips and advice to the new prepper? The kind of “hey, we all started some place and this is what helped me out in the long run” kind of advice. Basic tips and techniques, even encouragement, for those just starting their journey to self sufficiency.
DISCLAIMER!!! This is not a gear happy “YOU HAVE TO BUY THIS ITEM” thread. While having the proper gear is important to the overall preparedness scheme, it’s not critical as to what piece of equipment you have, but rather IF you have it. Just a basic tips and techniques we’ve learned over the years which saves time here, a buck there, prepares you a little more here. It will be an open ended thread and I encourage the discussion to remember the fact not everyone has the budget to set themselves up overnight. Preparedness takes time. Preparedness takes money. Preparedness takes techniques. Preparedness takes training. Preparedness takes a proper mindset. Preparedness takes encouragement.
Without further ado, I’ll start the discussion…
Starting your life changing experience. It’s not easy to start from ground zero in the preparedness world and chances are you already have basic knowledge and equipment that will help you get through tough times. Most of the time you don’t realize it, but you do have basic knowledge stored away you can use. Overall, every human has a survival instinct ingrained in their head, but it’s how you make use of that instinct that sets you apart from the masses of sheeple that decide not to prep or make use of their on hand items. So the first piece of advice would be:
1. Start small! Everyone starts somewhere. Think of a beaver dam. Those beavers started with a twig at some point and ended up blocking a whole stream. Preparedness isn’t so different from that. A little bit of work here and there and eventually you end up with a large “dam” of your own. Even if it’s buying an extra can of tuna or an extra bag of rice, everything adds up in the long run. Most people starting out don’t realize the “old hats” in the preparedness arena started right where they are some years before.
2. Admit the things you don’t know! It’s better to ask about things you don’t know and learn then look foolish by not saying a word and screwing something up. The first step in learning anything is to know what you don’t know. Our egos often get in the way of us being able to say “I don’t know” something and the knowledge (or lack thereof) could get you hurt or killed.
Additionally, don’t be afraid to ask someone to explain something to you. I had to teach someone how to build a fire recently. Those that have been doing it a while won’t have a problem trying to break it down into simple terms and instructions.
3. Don’t be afraid to get out and “do!” A lot of times, preppers have enough beans and rice saved up to feed the entire continent of Asia, however, couldn’t tell you how to store it properly. Others have enough ammunition stockpiled to destroy the entire South American continent, but couldn’t hit the broad side of the barn. The only way (in my opinion) to gain knowledge is to learn and do. First you learn about it and then you actually do it. And practice it as skills will deteriorate with time. Plenty of preppers out there own a compass, but how many actually practice resection and intersection? Navigating from one point to another just using a compass and a map? Learning to navigate without a map? Etc.
Biggest thing is, learn a skill and get out and actually DO it.
4. Don’t get gear happy starting off! I know we all like Gucci gear and nifty survivalist bling. Everyone does! We see photos of other’s Gucci gear and nifty blind and look at prices. We already own Model X of a particular item and suddenly see the uber-awesome Model Z come onto the market. We like it, we want it. Most of the time the old hats that have been doing it a while back off after putting thought into it. But we still look (kind of like lookin at that 22 year old tanned and fit co-ed until you get slapped in the back of the head by the wife…same principle, they knock some sense into us) until we remember what we have is perfectly fine. Beginning preppers see shiny expensive new toys and HAVE to have them. I know I started out that way (and still do from time to time) thinking of all the things I didn’t have and needed. But then I realized I actually did have a lot of things but just didn’t know it.
What do you have already that could double as an item to use in the preparedness world? What can you make or build or modify to use? I made my own tea candle holders out of old juice cans. Had ‘em anyway and figured why spend the money on candle holders when I’ve got something I can make. What else is lying around your house you could use in an emergency situation?
But overall, each and every new prepper wants the gear starting off. But it’s the knowledge that will get you through everything. Gear is nice to have and makes the jobs easier, but at the same time; you can own a hundred thousand dollars in gear and still fail because you have no idea of how to use it. Owning Kifaru pack to haul around a Springfield M25 White Feather model with a top of the line Nightforce Scope and having fifty thousand rounds of Black Hills Match ammo is not going to help you if you can’t shoot the darn thing or the pack wasn’t sized right. Be careful not to fall into the trap of getting the latest and greatest gear and letting other areas fall by the wayside.
5. Get ready for a lifestyle! Being a prepper is not a hobby or a once a year thing to poke at. It’s a lifestyle. A continually evolving system to better prepare yourself for realistic scenarios you might encounter. But overall, it’s a way of life. Some people walk into a grocery store and see cans of chili on sale and think “oh, that’s nice; I can save a few bucks on the next company barbeque” and buys five cans. A prepper walks into the same grocery store and thinks “Awesome! Those have expiration dates of four years from now!” and buys five cases. It’s a lifestyle change that takes hold over time. It doesn’t happen overnight, but you find yourself more and more looking at things from a long term standpoint and building your stocks up. Eventually if you stick with it, you find your lifestyle has changed from the 95% of the masses that are unprepared.
6. Never stop trying to learn and share the knowledge with others! All too often we have an emergency in our lives (whether it is a power outage that lasts six hours or a blizzard that snows you in for ten days) that we learn from. And in the end, I doubt there is anyone that believes themselves to be “prepared” that doesn’t come away thinking “you know, we made it through okay, but item X might have been handy to have.” Maybe not necessary, but nice to have and makes our lives simpler. So you learn a little bit, you try things to see if they will work.
And don’t be afraid to share the knowledge of failure with others. “We had a hurricane and forgot to get extra chainsaw oil beforehand. It sucked and we had to wait for three days for the city to come by and remove the trees from our block.” We learn from our own mistakes, but we also learn from others as well. The sharing of knowledge will help us all get through times of crisis. But even those we might consider “new” to the preparedness world WILL have things to offer. Don’t be afraid just because you are new to not tell people your experiences.
7. Be realistic and dynamic! It really does you no good to prepare for a hurricane if you live in Kansas. Or a volcano if you live in Florida. Create a realistic plan of becoming more prepared based on what threats you are likely to encounter. Start small and build up from there. But be dynamic enough to plan for multiple contingencies. The same basic plan is typically going to work for multiple scenarios, but often additional refinements are needed for specific emergencies. Don’t get bogged down in preparing for things that aren’t likely in your area. Prepare for the most likely situations first and expand from there.
8. But overall, BREATHE! Far too often new preppers get discouraged from seeing how well prepared others are and lack the determination to continue with preparedness. If you feel yourself start slipping down that path, stop, look around, poke at some news articles about how unprepared others are in times of disaster and remember why you are doing it. But getting started can be a little overwhelming for some. They see the mountain of tasks to be achieved and get discouraged and quit after buying six cans of tuna. Start small, end big. Rome wasn’t built in a day; neither will your emergency preparedness plans. When you believe you won’t ever be fully prepared (and nobody ever will be, trust me) take stock of what you DO have as opposed to what you don’t and realize you are probably better off than 95% of the population on the planet.
And after knowing what you do have, continue taking account of the things you don’t and plug away at that list. Don’t get discouraged by your seemingly lack of preparations. Just by seeing the fact you are unprepared means you are taking the right steps in correcting that problem. Don’t get overwhelmed in things you don’t have and let it worry you. Stop for a moment, take a breath and continue preparing for whatever comes your way.
Please feel free to post your own advice here for those just starting on the road to better preparing themselves.
The past few years have seen a resurgence of new preppers in today’s world. Most don’t stick around, but some often do for the long haul. I know I always kind of half hearted prepped before “seeing the light” and starting to go at it on a more full time basis. But, like many, I was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of things needed to make it a lifestyle as opposed to a part time thing. And I feel that often this overwhelming part makes some potentially good preppers turn away as they cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel and give up out of frustration.
So why not a thread to give simple tips and advice to the new prepper? The kind of “hey, we all started some place and this is what helped me out in the long run” kind of advice. Basic tips and techniques, even encouragement, for those just starting their journey to self sufficiency.
DISCLAIMER!!! This is not a gear happy “YOU HAVE TO BUY THIS ITEM” thread. While having the proper gear is important to the overall preparedness scheme, it’s not critical as to what piece of equipment you have, but rather IF you have it. Just a basic tips and techniques we’ve learned over the years which saves time here, a buck there, prepares you a little more here. It will be an open ended thread and I encourage the discussion to remember the fact not everyone has the budget to set themselves up overnight. Preparedness takes time. Preparedness takes money. Preparedness takes techniques. Preparedness takes training. Preparedness takes a proper mindset. Preparedness takes encouragement.
Without further ado, I’ll start the discussion…
Starting your life changing experience. It’s not easy to start from ground zero in the preparedness world and chances are you already have basic knowledge and equipment that will help you get through tough times. Most of the time you don’t realize it, but you do have basic knowledge stored away you can use. Overall, every human has a survival instinct ingrained in their head, but it’s how you make use of that instinct that sets you apart from the masses of sheeple that decide not to prep or make use of their on hand items. So the first piece of advice would be:
1. Start small! Everyone starts somewhere. Think of a beaver dam. Those beavers started with a twig at some point and ended up blocking a whole stream. Preparedness isn’t so different from that. A little bit of work here and there and eventually you end up with a large “dam” of your own. Even if it’s buying an extra can of tuna or an extra bag of rice, everything adds up in the long run. Most people starting out don’t realize the “old hats” in the preparedness arena started right where they are some years before.
2. Admit the things you don’t know! It’s better to ask about things you don’t know and learn then look foolish by not saying a word and screwing something up. The first step in learning anything is to know what you don’t know. Our egos often get in the way of us being able to say “I don’t know” something and the knowledge (or lack thereof) could get you hurt or killed.
Additionally, don’t be afraid to ask someone to explain something to you. I had to teach someone how to build a fire recently. Those that have been doing it a while won’t have a problem trying to break it down into simple terms and instructions.
3. Don’t be afraid to get out and “do!” A lot of times, preppers have enough beans and rice saved up to feed the entire continent of Asia, however, couldn’t tell you how to store it properly. Others have enough ammunition stockpiled to destroy the entire South American continent, but couldn’t hit the broad side of the barn. The only way (in my opinion) to gain knowledge is to learn and do. First you learn about it and then you actually do it. And practice it as skills will deteriorate with time. Plenty of preppers out there own a compass, but how many actually practice resection and intersection? Navigating from one point to another just using a compass and a map? Learning to navigate without a map? Etc.
Biggest thing is, learn a skill and get out and actually DO it.
4. Don’t get gear happy starting off! I know we all like Gucci gear and nifty survivalist bling. Everyone does! We see photos of other’s Gucci gear and nifty blind and look at prices. We already own Model X of a particular item and suddenly see the uber-awesome Model Z come onto the market. We like it, we want it. Most of the time the old hats that have been doing it a while back off after putting thought into it. But we still look (kind of like lookin at that 22 year old tanned and fit co-ed until you get slapped in the back of the head by the wife…same principle, they knock some sense into us) until we remember what we have is perfectly fine. Beginning preppers see shiny expensive new toys and HAVE to have them. I know I started out that way (and still do from time to time) thinking of all the things I didn’t have and needed. But then I realized I actually did have a lot of things but just didn’t know it.
What do you have already that could double as an item to use in the preparedness world? What can you make or build or modify to use? I made my own tea candle holders out of old juice cans. Had ‘em anyway and figured why spend the money on candle holders when I’ve got something I can make. What else is lying around your house you could use in an emergency situation?
But overall, each and every new prepper wants the gear starting off. But it’s the knowledge that will get you through everything. Gear is nice to have and makes the jobs easier, but at the same time; you can own a hundred thousand dollars in gear and still fail because you have no idea of how to use it. Owning Kifaru pack to haul around a Springfield M25 White Feather model with a top of the line Nightforce Scope and having fifty thousand rounds of Black Hills Match ammo is not going to help you if you can’t shoot the darn thing or the pack wasn’t sized right. Be careful not to fall into the trap of getting the latest and greatest gear and letting other areas fall by the wayside.
5. Get ready for a lifestyle! Being a prepper is not a hobby or a once a year thing to poke at. It’s a lifestyle. A continually evolving system to better prepare yourself for realistic scenarios you might encounter. But overall, it’s a way of life. Some people walk into a grocery store and see cans of chili on sale and think “oh, that’s nice; I can save a few bucks on the next company barbeque” and buys five cans. A prepper walks into the same grocery store and thinks “Awesome! Those have expiration dates of four years from now!” and buys five cases. It’s a lifestyle change that takes hold over time. It doesn’t happen overnight, but you find yourself more and more looking at things from a long term standpoint and building your stocks up. Eventually if you stick with it, you find your lifestyle has changed from the 95% of the masses that are unprepared.
6. Never stop trying to learn and share the knowledge with others! All too often we have an emergency in our lives (whether it is a power outage that lasts six hours or a blizzard that snows you in for ten days) that we learn from. And in the end, I doubt there is anyone that believes themselves to be “prepared” that doesn’t come away thinking “you know, we made it through okay, but item X might have been handy to have.” Maybe not necessary, but nice to have and makes our lives simpler. So you learn a little bit, you try things to see if they will work.
And don’t be afraid to share the knowledge of failure with others. “We had a hurricane and forgot to get extra chainsaw oil beforehand. It sucked and we had to wait for three days for the city to come by and remove the trees from our block.” We learn from our own mistakes, but we also learn from others as well. The sharing of knowledge will help us all get through times of crisis. But even those we might consider “new” to the preparedness world WILL have things to offer. Don’t be afraid just because you are new to not tell people your experiences.
7. Be realistic and dynamic! It really does you no good to prepare for a hurricane if you live in Kansas. Or a volcano if you live in Florida. Create a realistic plan of becoming more prepared based on what threats you are likely to encounter. Start small and build up from there. But be dynamic enough to plan for multiple contingencies. The same basic plan is typically going to work for multiple scenarios, but often additional refinements are needed for specific emergencies. Don’t get bogged down in preparing for things that aren’t likely in your area. Prepare for the most likely situations first and expand from there.
8. But overall, BREATHE! Far too often new preppers get discouraged from seeing how well prepared others are and lack the determination to continue with preparedness. If you feel yourself start slipping down that path, stop, look around, poke at some news articles about how unprepared others are in times of disaster and remember why you are doing it. But getting started can be a little overwhelming for some. They see the mountain of tasks to be achieved and get discouraged and quit after buying six cans of tuna. Start small, end big. Rome wasn’t built in a day; neither will your emergency preparedness plans. When you believe you won’t ever be fully prepared (and nobody ever will be, trust me) take stock of what you DO have as opposed to what you don’t and realize you are probably better off than 95% of the population on the planet.
And after knowing what you do have, continue taking account of the things you don’t and plug away at that list. Don’t get discouraged by your seemingly lack of preparations. Just by seeing the fact you are unprepared means you are taking the right steps in correcting that problem. Don’t get overwhelmed in things you don’t have and let it worry you. Stop for a moment, take a breath and continue preparing for whatever comes your way.
Please feel free to post your own advice here for those just starting on the road to better preparing themselves.
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