Prepping 101 - Where Do I Start?

For those of you wishing to be a little more prepared the biggest question is "Where do I start?".
The answer is quite simple. Don't buy anything until you've inventoried what you do have. It makes no sense to have an abundance of one item and a complete lack of something else. A good inventory of what you currently have on hand will show you the direction in which your preparedness efforts should be going.

If you're an avid hunter,with a fairly good arsenal already, buying more guns may not help you if you run out of food or water before the ammo plays out. Perhaps you're into gardening and canning and have a lot of canned items sitting on the shelves in your pantry or storeroom but don't own a gun. Either way you could have problems. So take an inventory! See what you have and write down what you need.You will also need to have a balance in your preparations.

Once you know where you stand on the basics of food, water,health, shelter and clothing, gear, education and protection, the next step is to develop a budget and a plan to get there. Next allocate a portion of your budget to each phase of your preparations. Then proceed toward being better prepared. It's easier than you think.

Prepping 101:

1.) Take an inventory of FOOD items you have in stock and compare it with your daily use to
determine the quantity needed to meet your short or long term goals. (dry goods, canned goods, etc.).

2.) Determine the items you have that will cover your WATER needs (storage containers, filters, purification methods, etc.).

3.) Figure out the items you need to address any HEALTH issues (glasses, prescription meds, first aid kits, etc.).

4.) Check your SHELTER status (temporary and permanent) and CLOTHING inventory (for both summer and winter) to determine any deficiencies in either category.

5.) Sort through your GEAR and equipment (camping, household items, and tools) and decide where you can improve things. Special Note: GEAR should always include the ability to make a fire for cooking and heat.

6.) Provide for EDUCATION materials (books, seminars, traing classes, etc.) so that you can increase your skills and knowledge base.

7.) Finally make sure you cover any needed items for your PROTECTION (guns, ammo, etc.).

8.) And above all other things, practice SAFETY at all times in your food storage, your medical preps, using your tools or your guns.

So determine what your budget will be and work towards your short or long term goals.

Hopefully, this will get you started towards being better prepared.

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker