Beginner's guide to prepping: 6 Things to remember for new preppers

By zoeysky // 2023-01-02

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Make sure that your family has the supplies it needs when SHTF by being better prepared. If you need help preparing, start by stocking up on survival supplies and finding a reliable source of up-to-date information. (h/t to TheOrganicPrepper.com)

Avoid hysteria

Bad information is useless when disaster strikes. If you're looking for reliable information, don't look on social media where hearsay can gradually turn into half-truths. If you are looking for online forums or groups to join, look for those that share news from reliable, unbiased sources.

Avoid information overload

When you are facing a survival scenario, information overload can be paralyzing. You may experience information overload when the amount of information you are exposed to exceeds your processing capacity. This means you may get overwhelmed when "confronted by large amounts of information." If you are dealing with an ongoing disaster scenario, it may feel like you have to be glued to your phone, computer and TV to get updates on a large-scale event involving civilians fighting against trained soldiers or buildings being reduced to rubble. But even if it's hard to look away, focus on monitoring only the news that may affect you directly. This can help you avoid things that may stress you unnecessarily, which can be detrimental when you are dealing with a time-sensitive survival scenario. If you really want to monitor the news, limit the time you spend gathering information. For example, if you are worried about the Russia-Ukraine war, check the news only three times a day. While checking the news, get updates from different sources to ensure that you have a clearer picture of what’s going on. The truth usually lies somewhere in the middle. Focus on things like prepping and survival skills and self-improvement. It’s far more beneficial in every way.

Focus on the basics

If you are overwhelmed by the news or your preps, start by focusing on the basics. Do you have the following items covered?

Water (You will need drinking water and more water for other tasks like cleaning and cooking.)
A way to cook (If possible, prepare some methods that don't require electricity so you can cook even after the power goes out.)
A way to stay cool or hot in your home, depending on the weather
Medical needs
Sanitation
Security and defense
Communication
Information

Here are some foods to buy for your stockpile so you can get supplies before SHTF: Grains:

Cake flour
Cornmeal
Dried corn
Instant grits
Pasta
Popcorn
Quinoa
Rice
Rolled oats
Wheat berries (White or hard wheat berries)

Beans and legumes:

Black beans
Black-eyed peas
Chickpeas/Garbanzo beans
Kidney beans
Lentils
Lima beans
Navy beans
Pinto beans

Meats and other proteins:

Canned chicken
Canned salmon
Canned tuna
Country ham
Dry-cured bacon
Sardines
Spam
Vienna sausages

Baking ingredients:

Baking powder
Baking soda
Cocoa
Corn starch
Jell-O mix
Powdered milk
Powdered sugar
Pure vanilla extract
Syrup
Yeast

Do a regular inventory check and fill in the gaps. If you use up any items, replace them immediately so you don't run out of crucial supplies when SHTF.

Take care of minor health issues

If you have any health issues that can be addressed with a visit to the doctor, get it done while you can still do so. Take care of any dental issues, fix knee injuries with surgery, or address old injuries with physical therapy. (Related: Prepping skills: Tips for learning herbal medicine.) If you wear prescription eyeglasses, get your eyes checked again to see if you need a new pair of glasses. You can also get a backup pair so you have another one if your current eyeglasses are lost or destroyed when SHTF. Schedule check-ups, optometry visits and dentist appointments for the whole family to make sure there are no issues left untreated. If someone in the family has underlying health conditions, try to stockpile their medications. If you get about three to five pills ahead each month, it will eventually add up.

Know when you have prepared enough

You should know when you have done enough to prepare for SHTF events. You will eventually run out of money for gear or room for more supplies. This doesn't mean you have to give up. Rather, you have to accept that even as a prepper you can't prepare for everything and you don't have to stress out over some things that are beyond your control. When you reach this point, shift your focus to your skills. Start a home garden, learn how to fish or hunt or learn how to forage for wild edibles. You can also start a new hobby like knitting or woodworking. If money is an issue, you can be productive by learning new skills or improving your current skills by following video tutorials or borrowing books from the library.

Try to be at peace

Whether you're a newbie to prepping or a seasoned expert, it's important to find a way to be at peace with where you are when it comes to your preps. You can keep working and learning, but you should keep in mind that all your skills and supplies give you a little bit more security when SHTF. Even preppers can only do so much and it's impossible to personally affect the actions of countries like Russia, China or the federal government. If you feel overwhelmed, remember that America has been through wars before. Times were hard back then, but people adapted and survived. If the same thing happens in your time, you can rely on your family, your skills and your supplies. Adapt to the new rules and focus on the things that bring you peace and happiness. As a prepper, you must focus on what you can control, not the things that are beyond your control. Go to Preparedness.news for more tips on how to prepare before SHTF. Watch the video below for ideas on which foods to buy for a two-week emergency prepper pantry. This video is from the Survival 101 channel on Brighteon.com.

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