Preparing for disasters sometimes has negative connotations around it. As if being prepared is only for “preppers” and pessimistic people who fantasize about doom and gloom or the zombie apocalypse. The truth is being prepared for the unknown is the duty of every man and women, especially heads of households. You don’t have to take preparedness to drastic levels either; even just minimal preparedness can give you peace of mind. Following is a short list of basic things one can do to be at least “minimally” prepared.
Six months to one year of expenses. Everyone should have savings at home in the case of a job loss, emergency medical expense, or bank closure. Banks should not be infallibly relied on for two reasons. One reason is that banks don’t actually have enough cash in their vault to cover everyone’s deposit. So if everyone wanted cash at the same time, you could be left short-handed. The other reason is simply because you should reduce reliance on other people/vendors. In the case of an emergency you won’t want to have an extra step of physically going to the bank for cash. It would be a good idea to keep some cash in small bills as well, in order to pay for small expenses with small bills and not require much change back. When talking about cash at home it’s also a good idea to have some precious metals at home such as gold and silver coins or bars. The reason being is that they are known to be “inflation” proof and can potentially increase in value during regular market cycles. The cash you have at home will decrease in value over time due to inflation; however precious metals tend to retain their purchasing power over time. You can also hedge against a failed currency with precious metals, which is tough to imagine, but it can happen. Small denominations ar e recommended for the same reason as small bills, they are more spendable/tradable without needing change.
Food/water supply and a means to prepare. The ideal food supply would cover six months to a year, however a good start would simply be one month for you and your family. Canned goods are the obvious choice, as well as packaged foods like rice and oatmeal. Canned foods are relatively cheap and you can cover various food groups easily; vegetables, fruits, meats. Don’t skimp on the meats either; it’s easy to think about canned foods and just think about vegetables, but meats are protein and will keep you fuller longer. Canned chicken, beef, turkey, and fish fit the bill nicely here. One could argue about the sodium content or general health benefits of canned food, however if it’s a real emergency, you’ll likely have bigger concerns than eating perfectly. If you’ve got the means to buy the same desirable foods that you eat on a normal basis and store them properly you can buy your normal foods to store as an emergency, but then consume them and replenish them as they approach expiration. Of course food is no good without a means to prepare. Camping stoves and fuel are good options if you don’t have a cook stove, fireplace, or other means. Don’t forget to include water as well. A gallon per person per day is a good rule to follow. Those blue five gallon jugs are a good storage method and so are store bought bottles of water. Be sure to store in a cool, dark place.
Physical fitness. Fitness is often overlooked as a preparation. Fact is it shouldn’t be done only for preparation; it should be done routinely to maintain health. However, it has its place when talking about preparedness. Events can happen where an individual is required to sprint, run for distance, swim, climb, jump, or lift. There are many people who call themselves prepared but overlook this component. One peculiar thing that regular training does is build confidence. Confidence alone can increase your odds of survival. If you train intensely on a regular basis you know you can push through some serious misery. Fitness likely goes overlooked because it’s not something you can buy or learn quickly. This one takes time and consistency to develop. If ever an accident occurred and strength is required it’d be much better to have some muscle to rely on rather than hoping a shot of adrenaline will do the lifting.
Medical Supplies and training. It’s shocking how many people don’t regularly carry basic medical supplies; even in their vehicles. Being prepared doesn’t have to mean being prepared for catastrophes or apocalypses; it can be as simple as a sprained ankle on a playground, or a cut from a random stumble. It’s important to have medical supplies on hand and the training to use it because if an event occurs there may not be time to run to the store for supplies, or the store may not have the supplies. It may also be too late to figure out how to do something without training. Everyone should have at least basic first aid kits in every vehicle and at home, especially if there are children involved.
Heavy clothing and blankets. For those in colder climates, spare warm clothes and blankets are a must in the event the furnace goes out and there is no backup for heat. Further, in the winter time it’s wise to have a change of heavy clothes and blankets in each vehicle. In addition to clothing it’s a good idea to have a small propane heater at home that would be capable of adequately heating a small space.
Firearm/weapon and training. It goes without saying that during any major disaster you’ll have those who are desperate enough for survival that they are willing to violate laws and your well-being in order to benefit themselves. While it might seem like overkill it’s a good idea to own a shotgun, rifle, and pistol and be trained with each. It’s recommended to carry the pistol daily if possible. A lot of people think that they shouldn’t carry at certain times because it’s not probable that an event will occur. This is incorrect. You carry a firearm not based on probability, but possibility. Spare magazines and sufficient stores of ammo at home are recommended. Quantities vary by person and situation. The rifle and shotgun are ideal for hunting and medium to long range defense, whereas pistols are typically for short range defense.
Knowledge of world and local events. This isn’t technically a “prep” but can be extremely beneficial in having prior warning that an event may be coming. It’s also beneficial in general to stay abreast of global trends and local events. Global trends might include things like war brewing or restrictions on access to cash. National events may include new firearm or banking regulations that will affect you. Local events may include news of planned/unplanned power outages or spontaneous water line breaks. One very important area to keep up on is financial news. Financial news is one of the concepts where what you don’t know can hurt you. If the stock market is shaky your retirement could be at risk. If business trends are abnormal your job could be at risk. The point here is to stay on top of the news so you don’t get blindsided by a crisis when you could’ve had advance notice and done even more to prepare.
Situational awareness. This is also not necessarily a prep, but practicing situational awareness may help prevent a situation from ever occurring. Perhaps crossing the street from a suspicious person, or noticing an unsafe practice that people are partaking in and speaking up. There are many ways to practice situational awareness so that won’t be discussed here, but the important thing is that it is practiced in some form, because it’s a skill that can be learned and made part of your daily life.
Fire extinguisher and smoke alarms. This one doesn’t have to be explained, but there’s someone out there that needs to hear this. Get fire extinguishers for your home and even for your vehicles, and ensure the batteries are good in your smoke alarms. Best way to deal with disaster is to prevent them from happening.
That concludes the list of minimal preparedness items. There are more, and many people have many different opinions. This is meant to be a guide for people who have not thought about such concepts before and will hopefully open their minds to engaging in some preparedness steps. It sounds cliché but disasters never happen until they do. If you’re an adult man, woman, head of household, it’s your duty to be prepared for yourself and those that depend on you. In this day and age preparedness can get a bad rap, as if it’s not needed or silly. Be that person who is confident in their abilities to handle themselves and assist others in the face of disaster.