Prepping 101: Tips to help you start your prepping journey
By hrseditor // 2024-11-14
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Prepping can be overwhelming, but it's a lifestyle that offers many benefits. Don't let all the planning discourage you from helping your family prepare for different emergencies. Below are some tips that can help you with your prepping journey. (h/t to HomesteadOrDead.com) For non-preppers, a prepper may seem like a person who is interested in preparing for and surviving different emergencies. While that is true, prepping is much more than that. Preppers work hard to improve their overall physical and mental health. They also spend time learning valuable prepping and survival skills. Don't confuse true preppers with people who are overly cautious or paranoid hermits. Preppers proactively get what they need instead of waiting until it is too late. (Related: 10 Essential tips for emergency preparedness: Be ready for anything.) You are also not required to spend all your savings as you start prepping. Focus on potential emergencies you might face and how to prepare for them. The courses of action below will help you become a serious prepper.

Be financially prepared

Don't go broke while preparing before SHTF. While things are quiet and "normal," try to be more financially prepared. This usually involves having a solid fiscal foundation in place in case of an emergency. First, save up an emergency starter fund of at least $1,000. Financial expert Dave Ramsey recommends this amount as a good initial goal. Ramsey adds that once you have cleared all pending debts and can afford to save more money, you can try to aim for a goal of at least three to six months' worth of expenses. This safety net can help if you face sudden unemployment, temporary disability or other financial emergencies where you would need to stop working and take care of a family member. It also helps to develop sound financial habits, such as keeping an updated budget and always prepping with cost in mind.

Prep bug-out bags for the whole family

You will need bug-out bags or go bags if you are preparing for emergencies that will require bugging out or evacuation when SHTF. Your bug-out bag should include essential survival items like food, water, items for building a shelter or a mini tent, a multipurpose tool, a fire-starting kit, a map and compass and more. With a bug-out bag, your family can quickly "get up and get out" during a serious emergency.

Learn survival skills

Prepping also involves learning survival skills that could help save your life, or at least make things easier for you, after disaster strikes. Since it's impossible to predict exactly when emergencies can happen, the best thing to do is to have an emergency preparedness plan for potential risks. Here are some useful survival skills that you can learn:
  • Building a shelter
  • Fire starting
  • First Aid
  • Fishing, hunting or trapping
  • Foraging
  • Knot tying
  • Making weapons (self-defense and hunting)
  • Sourcing clean drinking water
After learning some basic survival skills, you can personalize your knowledge based on your specific circumstances and location. For example, if you live in an area that's prone to crime, take a self-defense class and learn how to use a firearm to protect yourself and your family.

Build a stockpile with two weeks of food supplies

When preparing for emergencies, the Department of Homeland Security recommends having enough supplies in your home to last 72 hours. This is a good start but as a prepper, it is best to be prepared for more. Once you get used to having good financial habits, try to build a stockpile with at least 14 days worth of food, water and other supplies. Don't forget to rotate your supplies to avoid food waste. Here's a list of different items to stock up on before SHTF:
  • Battery-powered cell phone charger and communication radio
  • Blankets, non-electric heaters and USB-powered fan
  • Cash, emergency contact information and personal documents (IDs, passports, etc.)
  • Entertainment (Preferably things that don't require electricity, such as board games, books and cards)
  • Extra batteries, lighters and matches
  • First aid kit, along with essential medication for family members with health conditions
  • Food and clean drinking water
  • Heat source (Such as a kerosene heater or a space heater)
  • Light sources ( Such as candles, flashlights and lanterns)
  • Personal hygiene and assorted cleaning products
  • Power sources (Such as backup batteries for smaller devices and a generator)
  • Self-defense weapons (Such as a firearm or pepper spray)
  • Tools (Such as an axe, duct tape and a shovel)
  • A working car with a full tank of gas
Make sure you only buy items from a trusted seller that offers lab-verified supplies.

Where to buy lab-verified supplies for your survival stockpile

The Health Ranger Store is here to help you get started on your prepping journey. That's why we're proud to introduce an assortment of clean, lab-verified and healthy food options such as Organic Raw Cashews, Freeze Dried Organic Yellow Miso Powder and Freeze-Dried Organic Strawberry Pieces. Cashews are unique kidney-shaped seeds that grow outside the fleshy drupes produced by the cashew tree (Anacardium occidentale). More than just a tasty snack, organic raw cashews contain high amounts of antioxidants, protein, monounsaturated fats, vitamins and minerals. Our Health Ranger Select Organic Raw Cashews (Whole & Pieces) are carefully grown under strict organic standards by trusted growers and are not exposed to radiation, fumigation or toxic chemicals. Our premium raw cashews are completely non-GMO, non-China and certified organic. We also verify their cleanliness and purity with extensive in-house laboratory testing for glyphosate, heavy metals and microbiology. You can also try Health Ranger Select Freeze Dried Organic Yellow Miso Powder. Yellow miso, or "shinshu miso," is made from organic soybeans that have been fermented with organic rice. It is sweeter and milder than red miso and has a mellow, earthy flavor. Yellow miso is perfect for broths, condiments, soups, marinades, dressings and glazes. Packed with highly bioavailable nutrients and antioxidants, Health Ranger Select Freeze-Dried Organic Yellow Miso Powder is made with the highest-quality fermented organic soybeans, organic rice, sea salt and organic Aspergillus oryzae as the fermenting agent. It is carefully freeze-dried to extend its shelf life and preserve its freshness and nutritional quality. Our Health Ranger Select Freeze-Dried Organic Yellow Miso Powder is certified organic and Kosher and is packaged in a USDA Certified Organic Facility. One of the most popular fruits in the world, strawberries are the bright red, heart-shaped fruits that grow on the Fragaria x ananassa plant. These superfruits are loaded with essential vitamins and minerals, such as dietary fiber, calcium, copper, iron, protein, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, phosphorus and vitamins A, B6, B9, C, E and K. Health Ranger Select Freeze-Dried Organic Strawberry Pieces make for a tasty and healthy snack you can enjoy all year round. With their crispy texture and natural abundance of vitamin C and other beneficial antioxidants and nutrients, our freeze-dried organic strawberry pieces can add a burst of flavor and nutrition to all your favorite pancakes, muffins, pies, salads and baked goods. They can even be eaten directly for a quick and healthy snack. Visit Health Ranger Store and Brighteon Store to find more prepping products for your stockpile. You can also go to Preparedness.news for more articles with tips on how to start prepping before SHTF. Click on this link to learn how to make a creamy and delicious Miso Tahini Dressing. Watch this clip to find out why you should stock up on Organic Almonds, Cashews and Macadamia Nuts before disaster strikes. This video is from the Health Ranger Store channel on Brighteon.com.

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Food preservation techniques: Keep your pantry stocked for any crisis. Smart storage solutions: Organizing your space for maximum preparedness. Survival essentials: Here's why it's wise to stock up on coconut oil before SHTF. Amish foods that you need in your survival stockpile. Sources include: HomesteadOrDead.com MossyOak.com HealthRangerStore.com 1 HealthRangerStore.com 2 HealthRangerStore.com 3 HealthRangerStore.com 4 HealthRangerStore.com 5 Brighteon.com
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