Easily the most common question we get asked is “How do I start prepping?” That’s an excellent question, so it makes sense it would be the most frequently asked. The answer will vary by your circumstances, but there is an answer here for you – I promise.
The best way to start prepping is by first creating a quick win with a 72-hour crash kit. This means ensuring shelter, then storing three days’ worth of: shelf-safe food (2,000 calories per adult per day), safe drinking water (1 gallon per adult per day), and a good first aid kit (alcohol wipes, ibuprofen, bandages, and tweezers at minimum). And don’t forget pet food for your furry friends! Aside from those items, have at least a week’s worth of any prescription medicines, clean clothing, warm blankets, and three day’s pay in cash.
Again, this is a minimal start to get you through the first three days, which are typically the most critical. Consider it your small safety net to give you breathing room while you begin your prepper’s journey. Obviously, the more you are prepared, the better. That first three days of necessity are just to not get caught with your pants down. With this 72-hour safety buffer in place, it’s time to start a longer-term prepping plan. You are already ahead of most people.
An Easy to Follow Prepping Plan
Planning is easy once you have that 3-day safety net in place. Knowing you have at least a few days already banked provides some peace of mind to plan logically. It’s like going to the grocery store when you’re not hungry. Your choices in groceries tend to be much better.
Here is a simple plan that should be easy to stick to:
Prep Step 1: Designate Storage Space
Locate one or more areas of your home where you can store your prepped items. These spaces should be temperature controlled (or naturally cool), out of prolonged direct light, and in a dry vermin-free environment (add some silica moisture traps in areas that might get humid).
Prep Step 2: Obtain Storage Containers Right for the Job
Get long-term storage containers that fit the true needs of whatever you are storing. You would not believe the deals you can get on high quality plastic- wear storage containers at Dollar General or Walmart. And don’t forget about 1 gallon zip-type plastic bags. I buy one-quart mason jars (with lids) at Walmart at $10.97 per dozen. That’s just $0.92 each. One of those jars can hold three days’ worth of dry rice or 800 rounds of ammo for my Ruger. Plain old cardboard boxes, milk crates, and wooden crates work well too depending on what is being stored.
Prepper Storage Tip
You can purchase a kitchen countertop vacuum sealer for $40 to $200, to save a ton of cash on individual “Tupperware” type airtight storage items for dry good foods. There are plenty of hacks that will show you how to use “Ziploc” style plastic bags if the cost or availability of specialized vacuum sealer bags is ever a concern.
When you get around the $60 mark, you find units that offer sealing settings for different types including dry, moist, and even marinade. These also often come with vacuum hoses for canning, jarring, and bottling. Here is one unit I like that goes for about $63 on Amazon, but shop around. There are plenty to choose from today.
IMPORTANT: Vacuum sealers are not just great for food. I use mine for anything I want to keep free of air and moisture such as ammo (400 to 500 rounds at a time), spare bands for my high-powered slingshots, even matches, tinder material, and first aid items for my bug-out bags.
Prep Step 3: Budget & Buy
Set aside a bi-weekly prepping budget (or as often as you get paid). It does not have to be a lot. At the time of this writing (2/3/22) Nine dollars will buy 20 lbs. of Great Value White rice at Walmart. Eleven dollars will buy 100 rounds of Winchester .22 caliber LR ammunition at Bass Pro. There are plenty of deals and you don’t have to buy everything at once.
Some people suggest simply stockpiling money and spending all at once when the SHTF. But if you think about it, the dollar you saved in February 2021 is only worth 91 cents in February 2022. By November 2022, it will be worth even less (probably about 88 cents). And when everyday items start increasing in cost like gasoline did in early 2022, your 2022 dollar will have the buying power of about 45 cents. Yes. This time last year I was paying $1.78 per gallon of gas. Today I am paying $3.96 – for the cheap stuff!
Do you remember the cost and scarcity of toilet paper, paper towels, alcohol wipes, and hand sanitizer from mid-2020 to mid-2021? Why not stock up on these things while they are plentiful and affordable?
Money Prep Tip
Spend some savings on non-perishable items that you will use regardless of whether it is every day or an emergency situation and keep the remainder as a cash reserve. Focus on items that you know from experience will be hard to get in an emergency. These include paper products, hygiene products, disinfectants and ammunition.
When it comes to food, consider getting some canned meat and fruit that will last for at least a few years. Get brands that you like. Just keep in mind the meat rationing most of us in the U.S. experienced in 2020 and focus on those types. Beef was hardest to get in my part of the Easter United States for six months. Shopping for groceries became an adventure nobody enjoyed.
Speaking of grocery shopping…
Prepper’s Pantry: Food
Stock up on items that will stay shelf-stable with the highest nutritional value. The main trick here is to focus on items whose shelf life can be enhanced by packaging them in an airtight container and keeping them in a cool, dry pantry out of constant direct light. While canned meats and vegetables are a standard, I recommend focusing on items easily stored in glass airtight mason jars as well. These include dry beans, rice, and similar items typically purchased by the sack.
To make your life a bit easier here is an article with a list of the top 100 shelf stable foods along with typical shelf life and nutritional information (per serving). Always confirm the actual numbers with the exact product, but certainly feel free use this as a guide to get you started.