Beginners Guide To Prepping

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What is Prepping?

To put it simply, prepping is basically the same thing as survivalism. The practices and concepts are similar for both, but the connotation is more of a philosophical one where the “Preppers” are slightly less radical or extreme than the big bad “Survivalists” who have bunkers in the woods stocked with years worth of supplies and enough lead to take down a small army. Preppers are more likely to be your average, everyday folk who work day jobs and go to church on Sundays. But behind closed doors they have a stockpile of supplies in the basement and a safe full of firearms just in case.

Prepping is the process and practice of becoming prepared for unforeseen circumstances to ensure your survival in these uncertain times. To be a “Prepper” is a way of life that helps navigate you through all those horrible things you never want to happen (natural disasters, war, pandemic, economy, crime). Find out more about the philosophies of prepping and survivalism here: What is a Survivalist?

How do I become a Prepper?

This step-by-step guide will get you started on your way to understanding what being a Prepper is really all about.

1. Educate Yourself

Having a comprehensive library of survival resources is the most crucial step in becoming self sufficient. Most significant disasters will result in the loss of some, if not all traditional power and heat resources. Most of us have become accustomed to the convenience of being able to walk over to our computer and Google whatever question we may have at the time. Gone are the days of Encyclopedia Britannica collections that many of us were forced to rely on as kids. While the convenience of having everything you might possibly want to know about just a click away is a nice convenience, it also poses some serious problems.

Since we have become so dependent on technology, most of us can’t picture our lives without it. Why buy books when you look it up on the internet for free? Why waste ink printing out a tutorial when we can just jump on our smartphones and pull it up again the next time we need it? Do you see the issue here? When TSHTF and the power grid goes down the only reference materials we will have available are the physical publications that we already have on hand. Google will no longer be an option in the event of a major catastrophe, so your survival library might very well be your lifeline in an emergency situation.

Check out our Survival Library and downloads section for expert recommendations.

A good book to start with is Making the Best of Basics 11th Edition. If you can only afford to buy one book for your survival library – this should be it! This book is a staple among Preppers everywhere.

**Be sure to take some time to learn about the founding fathers of survivalism and follow their lead to become a legitimate prepper in no time.

2. Get Your Provisions

Having a sufficient food and water supply (among many other things) is a very important element of prepping. Not only for emergencies, but also to protect against job loss, injury or illness.

Use the Ultimate Food Storage Calculator to determine the proper amounts of food and water storage for your family.

**Be sure you have a bare minimum of 3 months worth of long-term food storage on hand for your family.

3. Survival Gear

Beyond just food and water, you also need to make sure you have all the other survival gear on hand you might need in a crisis situation.

4. Share the Love!

Now that you’ve become a Survivalist it’s your responsibility to share your knowledge with your fellow man. Not only will this help the people you choose to share with in their own lives, but it will also have a cumulative effect on the community around you. The more people we have around us that are prepared themselves, the less burden we will have to carry when times get rough. By helping others prepare, we are also helping ourselves in the long run.