Preppers are all about taking care of both themselves and their families. Preppers realize that potential threats are everywhere, and they have to do all they can to be ready for whatever comes their way. Families that have emergency supplies ready will be able to handle emergency situations far better than those who scoff at the idea of prepping for emergencies.

Mentally Preparing

You have to be ready for anything as a prepper, but you also have to understand what the most likely scenarios are. You need to be ready for tornados, earthquakes, viral breakouts, terrorist attacks and more. To prepare for all those things can certainly stretch out a budget, and you can end up with a massive inventory that doesn’t do you any good. You need to look at what kind of problems are most likely to affect you where you live to be better prepared for reality.

You can start by looking at emergency preparedness websites that your state or local government have created. These will cover the most common disasters to occur in your area. You can also add in some potential risks that can affect you personally.

This could include all sorts of different things, such as living remotely and how that cuts you off from food and other supplies in the event of an emergency. If you live in city, you could prepare for a terrorist attack or gang warfare. If you have a job that is dependent on the economy, then you may want to prepare for a loss of income in the event of an economic emergency.

Your first concern when planning for any type of emergency should be to have adequate food, water and emergency first aid gear on hand. After that, you can start to budget and prepare for other risks involved with potential situations. You also need to keep in mind that not everyone is going to be civil in an emergency situation, and you need to be prepared to deal with hostile civilians.

Prepare for Bugging in and out

If you are a prepared prepper, then you will have emergency supplies stored away for when they are needed. You also likely have a bug out bag for when you have to pick up and leave. You will want to be ready to either stay in your home until the problem blows over or be able to cut and run at the first sign of trouble, and you need to have separate sets of supplies in order to do that.

Determine the Essentials

As you prepare your emergency supplies, you will need a way to sustain your shelter, clothing, food and water supplies. Once you have all that figured out, then you can determine what other essentials you will need. The supplies you store up should be enough to keep you and your family sustained for about a week and a half to start with. You can certainly plan for and prepare to keep all of you protected and taken care of for much longer, if you have the resources to do so.

Once you have decided on how long you will be preparing for, you can set aside about a gallon of water for each person for every day. Children and elderly people may need more. You can also stock water filters to deal with questionable water sources.

You will want to determine how much food everyone will need by using a food calculator. Each adult will need about 2,000 calories per day, and each child will need about 1,500. Determine what you can stock safely that will keep for years. Canned goods, dehydrated food and freeze-dried items will last the longest.

You also need to get emergency medical supplies ready. You can store first aid manuals and use online sources to find out what kind of supplies are required. Be sure to factor in any prescriptions or other medications that particular family members may need.

You ought to set aside a bug out bag that sustains you and your family for up to 72 hours. This can help you deal quickly with an emergency and get out of your home if it has become too dangerous.

It’s a good idea to have some survival tools stored away as well, such as equipment to help with communications, hunting, digging, construction and cutting.

A good quality radio is another essential tool, if you have the space and the resources. You will want one that can be operated by both battery and hand crank.

Your home’s survival room should be able to provide sanitation, cooking and heat for everyone.

You may also want to store up some defensive weapons.

How to Prepare for the Emergency Situation

We have talked about storing up items so far, but you need to know how to use each of them. They won’t do you any good if you are not well versed in what they do and how they can help you in the event of an emergency. You should understand how to use a radio and a compass and talk to others in the prepper community to find out what they know about using specific tools that could prove helpful. You also need an evacuation plan and a survival plan for each and every potential emergency situation. The best way to get through an emergency is to be prepared to handle it. So, you will want to practice with your family what to do and make sure everyone knows their role.