Preparing for the Unexpected
Prepping, or preparing yourself and your family to deal with the unexpected, can seem like an overwhelming task if you’ve never done it before.
What supplies should you include in your emergency kit?
How can you ensure that everyone will be safe and prepared in case of an emergency?
This guide on prepping for beginners answers all of these questions, and more, to help you take steps towards preparing yourself for the unexpected so that it doesn’t come as such a shock when it does happen.
Steps To Starting A Prepping Program
As with any program, when starting a prepping program it’s important to create a plan of action, otherwise you could end up taking on too much at once.
The following steps should help you get started in your preparedness journey, or provide an example if you’re looking to refresh or revamp your prepping strategy.
Take stock of what you have and don’t have: Before you can start preparing for disaster scenarios, you need to make sure that you know what tools and resources are available.
This means assessing your skillset and determining what supplies and equipment are already available to help support that skill set.
If you’re unsure of what skills you have or don’t have, enlisting help from a prepper group is a great way to get started. These groups can help identify gaps in your preparedness, and offer support along with suggestions.
Most are free to join, but they do require that members use their real names. You might also find like-minded people online or even at work who could serve as a sounding board when determining how to begin your preparedness program.
Prepping Basics
The most basic thing to have in your prepping kit is clean water.
You’ll need at least one gallon per person, per day (3 days’ worth if you can).
Next, you should have some food that lasts long without refrigeration or freezing. Preferably canned and non-perishable.
It’s also a good idea to stock up on a few simple tools like flashlights, candles, matches/lighters, batteries (including rechargeable ones), first aid kits, an emergency blanket/sleeping bag(s), and other things you might not think of right away.
Lastly—and perhaps most importantly—it’s important to develop a plan with your family about what do when disaster strikes.
Natural Disasters And How To Prepare For Them
It’s impossible to predict when and where a natural disaster will occur, so preparation is key.
If you’re looking to prepare your home for a natural disaster, it helps to keep your area in mind: if you live in an area vulnerable to hurricanes or earthquakes, it might be prudent to start storing up on water and food.
You may also want to take a look at how people can prepare themselves emotionally; research shows that even those who have never been through a traumatic event experience stress from fear of what could happen.
Mental preparedness is just as important as physical preparedness!
Natural disasters are terrifying and unpredictable, but it’s important to be as prepared as possible.
By examining your vulnerabilities and taking some precautions, you can greatly reduce your risk of injury or loss of life in a disaster.
Economic Disasters
When thinking about prepping, many people think of preparing to survive a natural disaster. While that’s certainly an important focus, financial disasters are much more likely to occur over your lifetime.
If you’re prepping on a tight budget, it might be helpful to prepare for economic disasters—like job loss or an unexpected medical emergency—and ensure you have some liquid savings set aside so you can cover expenses until you get back on your feet.
While these types of emergencies are more likely than a natural disaster, they’re still not very common and often unpredictable in their timing.
That said, there are steps you can take today to help plan for these events. For example, if you have a lot of debt and an emergency savings account that could cover six months’ worth of expenses, it might be helpful to reduce your debt load and increase your savings so that you could weather more than just a few months without income.
You should also create a plan with your loved ones about how they would provide assistance in case of an emergency.
Pandemic Scenarios
There are countless pandemic scenarios to consider when making your prepping plans. For example, there is a good chance that you or someone you know will get sick and go to bed one night only to wake up sicker than ever.
In such a scenario, it would be helpful to have already created a stockpile of over-the-counter medications and other supplies in order to take care of yourself as best as possible until help arrives.
You should also keep in mind that you may need to evacuate your home quickly, so packing an emergency bag with basic necessities (such as food, water, blankets) is important.
However, keep these things stored separately from your emergency supply kits; if you do end up evacuating your home during a disaster (whether it’s related to a pandemic or not), emergency officials might not let you bring all of your bags with you due to safety concerns.
Conclusion
Preparation is key. With a little time and effort, you can create an emergency-preparedness plan that protects you, your family, and your livelihood in any emergency scenario.
