Advice for new Preppers

[Channydoodle]

Hi me and my fiancé have been dipping into the world of prepping for a little while and are looking to get more serious with it. What would anyone recommend are the top things to consider/have. We are based in the southwest and would also love to get in touch with other Preppers based this end of the country.

[Yorkshire Andy]

Welcome to the forum


What to consider well I all depends on what you see as a issue ....

This is less than a stone's throw from me

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.co ... r-51656111

I'll get this moved to the new members start here section shortly

[korolev]

Think about "what if" scenarios (what if the shops were closed for a week ? what if there's a fuel strike ? what if theres a power cut ? what if the water goes off for a day/week ? What if the authorities tell you to evacuate your home ?).

You can build up a stash of food (only stash what you regularly eat) by buying a couple of extra packets/tins each week.

One other thing, (this is only my opinion mind) prepping to go and live in the woods is a waste of time/money; if you're having to do it, so are hundreds of others and they'll nick all your stuff.

[grenfell]

Not exactly glamourous or as exciting as shedloads of gear but number one prep should revolve around money. Both having a stash of cash to call upon in emergencies and reducing the amount you owe to others. Ask anyone who is mortgage free. We do have a working if sometimes disfunctional social security system and charity foodbanks and while it may be humiliating it would keep you alive and short term personal fan hitting is far more likely than a countrywide or worldwide collapse. There's really very little money can't help you out in , whether it's food or fuel , hotel rooms or private medical treatment. It's almost embarrassing for a prepper /survivalist or whatever term one wishes to use to admit.

[ForgeCorvus]

As others have said, sort your finances first..... Its not very Survivalist, but it is a solid Prep.

Insurance :
Life (both of you), home, pet, illness and injury

Home:
Get rid of as many outgoings (debts, hire purchase agreements and the mortgage) as you can as fast as possible...... Then avoid getting new ones. I seem to have more money since I got my overdraft sorted, probably because I'm not paying for the privilege of being in debt.

A wad of banknotes can fix an awful lot of problems. Computers crash, cards are declined, banks close and cash machines get emptied.

Pack a bag (each):
If you were one of those people told to leave their house right now due to the floods, what would you need for the next three days?

[Deeps]

Its pretty much been covered, most of it isn't very rock 'n roll right enough. Prepping covers a lot of bases and dare I say it, people do it for different reasons, some have a fantasy that they want to prep for, running off to the woods or whatever which is fine, they can go and do it, I do on a regular basis. For others prepping is something completely different so you need to figure out what it is you're prepping for and how you can achieve it. Unless you have oodles of cash its probably something that you'll have to work towards as opposed of being able to do it overnight. What is it that you think are your priorities, for most folk getting together a week or two of food (don't forget the water stuff) and other bits and bobs is pretty attainable if this is what you're looking at, some meds, torches and batteries and whatnot. There's no 'one size fits all' checklist for preppers though, we all have different priorities and budgets and even levels of motivation, find what works for you, places like this site and youtube can be really handy but especially when you're getting into it (and feeling evangelical about it) they can lead you down a path of wanting everything NOW ! Make sure you enjoy it too, we wouldn't do it if we hated it.

[Arwen Thebard]

I would add learning new skills and health / fitness to the list.

Both can be acquired for free (YouTube) or at very low cost and offer great returns and satisfaction.

Good luck with your prepping journey, you are certainly starting at an interesting time.

[grenfell]

Prioritise would probably be the key word as well. Bunkers , all terrain vehicles and guns seem to be the stock in trade of hollywood apocalyptic films but as we've seen recently storm damage and flooding are far more likely to figure in prepping. Then there's the slight possibility of a really nasty cold round the corner and short time or even layoffs at work.
Hope we've helped and we'd be happy to hear how you procede.

[ForgeCorvus]

I forgot to say "Don't Panic".
Prepping is more of a lifestyle then a task, you don't have to get it all done right now.



Oh, and read Carrotcruncher's Thread at the top of this section