Preparing for survival can seem overwhelming, especially if you’re starting from scratch and trying to do it on a budget. However, regardless of your current preparedness level, you can make significant progress by consistently learning the right strategies and implementing them over time.
Survival prepping is not something that can be completed in a single day. It involves learning survival methods, planning, acquiring the necessary supplies, and teaching your loved ones how to use them.
A good approach is to tackle survival, prepping from A to Z, focusing on one topic at a time. Below, you’ll find 26 essential survival topics, each with specific plans and advice to help you prepare effectively.
Assessments Can Prevent Foolish Decisions
A smart survival prepper avoids making hasty decisions. Instead, they train themselves to assess situations properly before taking action. While some assessments must be done quickly, most can be planned with ample time.
Assessments can include evaluating the most common emergencies in your area, such as severe weather events like tornadoes or hurricanes. Historical events can provide insight into situations you might face unexpectedly, like the Texas winter storm that caused widespread power outages.
You should also assess your food and water supplies, home security, and potential national or global threats such as civil unrest, war, or supply chain disruptions. Prioritizing likely events is crucial, but don’t forget to prepare for less common ones.
Bugging Out or In: Making the Right Choice
“Bugging out” typically means leaving your home for a safer location, often in the wilderness, while “bugging in” means staying put and fortifying your home. Knowing when to do each is vital.
If civil unrest makes staying home dangerous, it might be safer to bug out. Conversely, staying put might be the better option if your home is well-fortified and you feel secure defending it. Bugging out should be reserved for dire situations involving more risks and uncertainties.
Stay informed about potential threats, such as severe weather, medical hazards, or civil unrest, to make timely decisions.
Cache Stashes: Diversifying Your Supplies
Relying solely on stored supplies within your home can be risky. If intruders breach your home, they could take everything, leaving you with nothing.
To avoid this, create multiple cache stashes. These can be hidden in your backyard, buried on remote properties, or placed in other secure locations. Use containers like PVC pipes, sealable buckets, or specially designed boxes to protect your supplies from the elements and animals.
Spread out your supplies to ensure you have backups if one cache is compromised. Include essentials like food, water purifiers, ammunition, and first aid kits in these stashes.
Essential DIY Skills for Survival
Stocking up on supplies is not enough; you need practical skills to survive. These skills can also be valuable for bartering.
Learn basics like fishing, hunting, foraging, starting a fire, and securing clean water. Additionally, skills like building shelters, gardening, using a HAM radio, and repairing machinery are crucial.
Practice these skills regularly to be self-sufficient and better prepared for various scenarios.
Surviving an EMP
An electromagnetic pulse (EMP) can destroy electronic devices and cripple the electric grid. Preparing for an EMP involves protecting essential gadgets in a Faraday cage and planning for long-term grid outages.
Create or buy a Faraday cage to safeguard items like laptops, radios, and generators. Stock up on supplies and prepare to live without electricity for extended periods.
First Aid: Knowledge and Supplies
Basic first aid kits are insufficient for serious survival scenarios. Stock up on extensive first aid supplies, including wound dressings, pain relievers, and tourniquets. More importantly, learn how to use these supplies effectively.
Invest in first aid books and continually practice these skills. Teach your family members as well, ensuring they can assist if you are injured.
Grey Man Tips for Urban Survival
Bragging about your preparedness can make you a target. Adopting a “grey man” strategy helps you blend in and avoid drawing attention.
Avoid discussing your preparations publicly and dress inconspicuously. Practice blending into crowds and minimizing interactions with others. Keep your home preparations discreet to avoid being targeted by desperate individuals during a crisis.
HAM Radios for Communication
Smartphones may not work during a survival event. HAM radios, which require licensing, offer a reliable communication method with a long reach, making them invaluable.
Invest in a portable HAM radio and learn how to use it. This can help you stay informed and communicate with emergency services and others during a crisis.
INCH Bags: Long-Term Survival Kits
An INCH (I’m Never Coming Home) bag is a comprehensive survival kit for long-term situations. Unlike a bug out bag, which is designed for short-term use, an INCH bag includes gear for extended survival.
Pack essentials for food, water, shelter, and important documents. Plan for self-sufficiency in the wilderness or other locations for months or years.
Journals and Planners for Stability
Relying on electronics for survival plans is risky. Use paper journals and planners to track your supplies, plans, and skills.
Create detailed logs of your inventory, expiration dates, and action plans. This ensures you can maintain organization and preparedness even if electronic devices fail.
Survival Knives
A variety of knives are essential for survival tasks. Invest in different types, such as fixed blade, folding, serrated, and straight-edge knives.
Knives can be used for food preparation, building shelters, self-defense, and more. Keep knife sharpening tools and protective sheaths to maintain their effectiveness.
Land Purchase Tips for Homesteading
Choosing the right land for a homestead involves considering weather conditions, natural water sources, and local laws. Look for properties that offer protection from natural disasters and have resources for sustainable living.
Ensure the land allows for the construction of necessary structures and the raising of animals. Visit the property at different times and seasons to assess its suitability.
MREs for Long-Term Food Storage
Meals Ready to Eat (MREs) are shelf-stable, calorie-dense meals used by the military. They can last 20-30 years and are a reliable food source during disasters.
Evaluate the contents and expiration dates before purchasing. MREs often include a main meal, sides, snacks, and a flameless heater.
Night Vision Gear
Night vision gear helps you navigate and stay safe in the dark. Invest in night vision goggles, scopes, or security cameras to avoid hazards and detect threats.
These tools are essential for bugging out or defending your property at night.
Off-Grid Preparations
Prepare for long-term power outages by securing water, food, and tools that don’t require electricity. Practice living without power to identify gaps in your preparations.
Solar energy can be used for cooking and charging essential devices. Stock up on canned goods and non-perishables, and consider raising animals for fresh food.
Prepping for Peace of Mind
Survival prepping is about achieving peace of mind, not succumbing to fear. It’s about ensuring your loved ones are safe during any emergency.
Plan as a family and make sure everyone is aware of the preparations. Focus on both physical supplies and mental resilience.
Questions to Consider
Consider the number of people you’ll be preparing for, potential evacuation locations, and what supplies to take with you—plan for pets and how to handle separation from family members.
Think through potential confrontations and how to avoid them. Make sure everyone knows how to survive independently if necessary.
Rice as a Versatile Food
Rice is an affordable, versatile food that stores well and provides essential calories. Stock up on different varieties like white, brown, and parboiled rice.
Store rice in food-grade buckets to protect it from pests. Rice can be cooked easily and flavored with spices or herbs.
SHTF Events
SHTF (Sh*t Hits the Fan) events are catastrophic situations that drastically change life. These can be personal, like a severe illness, or widespread, like a pandemic or economic collapse.
Prepare for long-term disruptions by stocking supplies and honing survival skills. Expect events to last weeks, months, or even years.
TEOTWAWKI Scenarios
TEOTWAWKI (The End of the World as We Know It) refers to severe, long-term survival events with no end in sight. These can result from war, economic collapse, pandemics, or natural disasters.
Prepare for the loss of essential services like electricity, medical care, and food supply. Learn off-grid living skills and practice them regularly.
Urban Survival Tips
Surviving in an urban area requires specific strategies. Use grey man tactics to blend in and avoid drawing attention.
Know alternate routes, find local water sources, and grow a container garden. Learn self-defense and stay aware of your surroundings.
Vehicle Options
Choose vehicles that get good gas mileage and can handle off-road conditions. Consider options like motorcycles, four-wheelers, and bicycles for versatility and efficiency.
Boats, canoes, and kayaks can be useful for escaping via water. Stay physically fit to rely on your own legs if necessary.
Water Collection and Filtering
Water is essential for survival. Learn how to collect rainwater and purify natural water sources.
Invest in water purification tablets, straws, and filtration systems. Laws against rainwater collection won’t matter in a severe survival situation.
Xerox and Laminate Plans
Print and laminate essential plans and instructions. Keep copies in multiple locations, including bug out bags and cars.
Include recipes, first aid instructions, gardening tips, and shelter-building guides. Ensure all family members have access to these vital documents.
Secret Survival Gardens
Create a hidden survival garden in your yard. Choose plants that blend in with the surroundings and avoid typical garden layouts.
Hide gardens behind barriers and check them discreetly. Consider planting in remote locations to avoid detection.
Zombies in Prepper Context
In prepper terms, “zombies” refer to unprepared people who will seek your supplies during a crisis. They can become a threat, so avoid broadcasting your preparations.
Plan for potential confrontations and keep your supplies hidden. Be prepared to defend your resources if necessary.
By following these A-Z survival prepping tips, you can systematically build your preparedness and ensure your family’s safety during any emergency. Focus on learning, planning, and practicing regularly to achieve peace of mind and resilience in the face of potential disasters.
