The world of prepping loves lists. Lists of stuff. Spreadsheets of things you have stored, things to buy, things to rotate out of stocks. There is no doubt that making lists of things to do and things to acquire are extremely useful, if not essential. Getting a handle on everything that the subject encompasses is important: a well prioritized list with realistic timelines and a sensible budget helps overcome the common feeling of being overwhelmed. And it can be immensely satisfying when you get to check your accomplishments off against the list: the sense of achievement reinforces your motivation to move on to the next item and continue eating the elephant.
The problems come when the lists take on a life of their own: building and working through them somehow becomes confused as being an end in itself, rather than a means to the end of being more ready for hard times than you were yesterday. This is especially true of equipment shopping lists. In the world of internet commerce, Amazon Prime and instant gratification, comfort shopping for the next item is an easy default to settle into after a week of the daily grind. It is too easy to accumulate a closet full of prepping "stuff" without really advancing your true capabilities much. "All the gear and no idea".
With that potential pitfall in mind, let's assemble a few different lists that we can all use as starting points for our own tailored versions. After all, what works for one might not work well for another.
Top 3 Prepping List of All Time
Beans - stock extra everyday food, get some emergency rations and longer term food storage, start a garden, get some animals, preserve what you harvest, buy local, make friends with a farmer.
Bullets - buy a pistol and a rifle plus some ammo, get some quality appropriate training, practice, practice, practice, learn some tactics, practice, practice, practice, whenever you can afford: get some body armor, night vision and thermal, practice, practice, practice, make friends with police officers and military combat vets.
Bandaids - learn the difference between boo-boo, life threatening trauma and longer term nursing requirements, stock consumables and equipment for all three, take a course on a least the middle one, put some books on the shelf, read them, make friends with a nurse, a doctor and a dentist.
Next Top 6 Prepping List of All Time
- Eat better. Less sugar, less carbs.
- Exercise. Both aerobic and strength
- Build an emergency fund, pay off debt, build wealth
- Turn off the TV, read a book, learn a new skill, practice an existing one
- Grow your network, build a community
- Be a little better prepared today than you were yesterday and plan to work at it some more tomorrow
Rule of Threes
You can go:
- 3 minutes without air
- 3 hours without shelter (in adverse conditions)
- 3 days without water
- 3 weeks without food
This is very helpful for prioritizing activities in emergency situations.
9 Free Preps
- Dry fire practice with your guns (all safety precautions applied). 10 minutes every day.
- Go for a run, jog, walk or hike.
- Introduce yourself to someone new in the neighborhood. Build that network.
- Be a friend, help someone out. It will be returned in spades.
- Attend your local meetings, government, school board, political party, community, church. Learn the personalities, the power brokers and influencers. Network, network, network.
- Do something, anything that gets you out of your comfort zone at whatever level you are. Something that scares you but do it anyway. Build courage and resilience. Be comfortable with being uncomfortable.
- Play Spot the Difference and Keep in Mind games. Sharpen your observation skills and memory.
- Volunteer at your local food bank, animal shelter, hospital, volunteer fire department or search and rescue team. You are bound to make some useful connections.
- Chop a bunch of firewood. Good skill to have, great exercise and a valuable resource to stock.
Main Stuff
- Water containers.
- At least one independent method of cooking (propane camp stove, charcoal barbecue plus supplies).
- At least one method to filter and purify water.
- At least one independent method of heating space (propane infrared heater, wood stove).
- Some LED battery powered lanterns plus batteries.
- Blankets, sleeping bags and hot water bottles.
- Fire extinguishers, smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms.
- At least one trauma kit.
- At least a month's extra supply of medicines which you or your loved ones must have.
- At least one month of food for your entire family plus pets and extras for guests. Grow it out further as and when you can.
- Extra cleaning and hygiene supplies, soap, toothpaste, disinfectant and bleach plus garbage bags, ziploc bags and saved grocery bags.
- Fuel containers (gas and/or diesel)
- Extra paper goods, toilet rolls, kitchen paper, tissues and napkins
- Backpacks and duffle bags for each personal
- High capacity power banks for gadgets and a solar panel to charge them
- A dozen books on prepping, food storage, self defense, gardening and first aid topics.
- The knowledge to use all of the above.
Good Stuff for Trade and Good Will
In civil wars, invasions, low intensity conflicts and grid-down disasters
- MREs (Meals Ready to Eat)
- Fuel
- Coffee and tea
- Liquor, nothing fancy
- Ammunition, standard calibers
- Matches, lighters and firestarters
- Salt
- Canning jar lids
- Batteries
- Soap and toothpaste
- Multivitamins
- OTC medicines, such as Advil, Tylenol, Tums, antihistamines and sleep aids.
- Antibiotics, if you can get them
- Hard candy
- Flashlights
Stuff Not to Forget
Value beyond their weight
- Alcohol gel hand cleaner
- Lime for an emergency outhouse
- Bouillion/soup stock. Turns anything into a meal
- Insect repellent and pest control
- Candles and safe holders (jars)
- Herbs and spices to change up a bland diet
- A hand can opener
- A portable toilet
- Cooking oil
- A good, basic tool kit
- Disposable paper plates, plastic cups and utensils
- A camp shower
- Powdered drinks
- Fabric repair kits, especially the modern adhesive patches
- Work gloves
- Duct tape and metal wire