The Complete Guide to Prepping for Beginners

Prepping can have a negative stigma attached to it because of the TV shows that portray preppers as crazy doomsday predictors.

But in reality, it's just common sense to be ready for any emergency that comes your way. You never know when the weather will change for the worst and you'll be facing the “storm of the century.” 

Recent events have shown us that we never know when these events might happen, and the results can be devastating. Just look at the hundreds of videos of natural disasters on YouTube and you'll see how sudden (and destructive) they can be.

Prepping is NOT a waste of time.

Of course most people don't expect these things, so when these events happen, many are caught off guard and there is a run on supplies in the stores.

You obviously don't want to be one of those people who are trying to panic buy stuff.

It can be easy to put off being prepared, but if you take it slow and integrate it into your lifestyle, you might be surprised at what you can achieve in a short period of time.

And it can be fun. 

So let's get into how you can get started right now.

Your well being and the well being of your family depends on it.

Start With a Plan

The first thing that you have to do is assess your situation and create a plan.

It can be tempting to go all-out and buy all of the latest gear that you see in YouTube videos. But pause, take a deep breath, and create a plan so you don't waste precious time and money on stuff you'll never use.

I've been there, so I want to prevent you from making the same mistakes.

Here's what to do first.

Minimal Prepping Checklist

The best place to start is with the minimum amount of stuff that you'll need to get you through an emergency. I believe in being prepared for at least 3 weeks to start.

In my research, I have found that it usually takes about 2 weeks for things to stabilize after a major natural disaster. So being prepared for 3 weeks will make sure that you're covered. 

From there, you can build on your supplies to get you to where you ultimately want to be.

The minimum things that you'll need are the following:

1. 3 weeks of water
2. 3 weeks of food
3. Emergency supplies for your home in case you stay home or cannot leave
4. A bug-out/emergency bag for each member of your family if you have to evacuate
5. Learn to use your gear

Now that you have the basic checklist, I'll get into the details of each item.

1. Emergency Water

The first thing you should take care of is water.

It's said that you cannot go without water for more than 3 days. This will vary by the individual and environment, but that's a good rule of thumb to follow when prepping.

The challenge with storing water is that it takes up a lot of space and it can go bad.

Therefore, it's a good idea to have several options ready in this area.

Begin by calculating how much water each person will need to survive 3 weeks. Again, the amount of water each person will need will vary by the individual.

Also keep in mind that you might want extra water for bathing, brushing your teeth, hydrating freeze dried food and making drinks like coffee or tea.

However, since this is a minimalist checklist, let's start with just drinking water.

According to Harvard Health, the average person needs about 4-6 cups of water per day. Keep in mind that in an emergency situation, you'll probably be running around more and you'll be under stress, so you might need more.

Start by tracking how much water you drink every day. For emergencies, I think it's a good idea to double that amount.

If the average person needs 6 cups per day, then it's a good idea to have 12 cups available. Multiply that by 21 days (3 weeks) and that's 252 cups or 15.75 gallons. I'll round it down to 15 gallons to make it easier, since water storage containers usually store 5 gallons.

That's a lot of water to store, especially if you have a big family.

So I feel that it's a good idea to be able to store water for at least 1 week. Any more than that will be hard to store and maintain, unless you have a big storage area.

The rest of your water can come from other sources. That's why it's important to have a gravity water filter and some personal water filters.

When you have a gravity water filter like a Berkey or ProOne, you can put in rain water or dirty pond water and have drinkable water. The water from this filter can be used to refill your storage cans, giving you an almost unlimited supply for water.

If you live in a cold area, snow can be melted and filtered for drinking water.

Also having personal water filters like a Sawyer or LifeStraw can be a great backup in case your primary water filter gets damaged or is lost. These devices are also great for evacuation scenarios.

In addition, you know that a disaster is coming, fill up your bathtub, sinks and any other container you have with water. You can filter it as you need it.

Finally, don't forget bottled water. Keep a few cases handy and you can even put some bottles in the freezer to help keep your food cold, in case the power goes out.

2. Emergency Food

Not having food for even a day can make everyone grumpy and lead to arguments and bad decisions. Therefore, emergency food should be the next item on your list.

I watched YouTube videos when I first started getting prepared and some of them recommended buying canned food.

So I naturally bought some.

In hindsight, that's NOT a good idea, in my experience.

We stocked up on several cases of canned food and forgot about them, so they eventually had to be thrown out.

What a waste.

If you want to go the canned food route, it's best to only buy stuff that you actually eat on a regular basis. This way, you can rotate through the canned food and it won't go bad.

Even then, you might not eat enough canned food to rotate through a case of Costco beans or canned corn. We certainly don't.

The best solution is to buy freeze dried food. It can last up to 25 years, so you can put it away and forget about it. 

Sure, it costs much more than canned food. However, it lasts much longer and you don't have to track the expiration date as closely as with canned food.

I've found that with freeze dried packaged food, I usually eat 1 package per meal, although the package says that there are 2 servings per package. If I followed the serving size on the package, I would have half as much food as I though I did.

So it's a good idea to actually try some of the food and see how much it takes to make you full.

You can also buy a freeze drier and make your own freeze dried food.

The upfront cost is much more, but after the initial purchase, you can make as much food as you want. This way, you know what ingredients are going into your food and you can make what you enjoy eating.

Another option is to buy dried food like rice and beans. This is not as tasty, but it's much cheaper and can also last several years. I have a tutorial on how to do it here.

Companies like Azure Standard make it easy and affordable to buy bulk dried food.

3. Emergency Gear for Your Home

In most situations, you'll probably be at home. So the next thing to do is to make sure that you have the right equipment. Here are essential things to keep stored away, in case of an emergency.

• Waterproof flashlights with batteries
• Candles
• First aid kit
• Cleaning supplies
• Gas or solar generator
• Heating/cooling
• Backup communication
• Power cables and chargers
• Batteries
• Stove with fuel
• Portable battery packs
• Tools
• Cash
• Medications

This is a good place to start. After you have these preps, you can build on them, based on what you feel you'll need.

Just don't get too carried away. Put a lot of thought into what you'll actually need and don't buy a bunch of stuff because you think it will be nice to have or it looks cool.

Waterproof Flashlights

Have at least 2 waterproof flashlights on hand with enough battery storage.

Remember, 2 is one and 1 is none. That means that having 2 will ensure that you'll always have at least 1 available. If you only have one and it breaks, you're screwed.

Any good flashlight will work. But if you want the best of the best, then I recommend getting the Streamlight Survivor. This is the flashlight that rescue workers use and it's super tough.

Beeswax Candles, Waterproof Matches and a Lantern

Even if you have flashlights, candles are necessity because they last much longer than battery powered flashlights. But not all candles are the same.

Here's the bottom line…

Buy beeswax candles, if at all possible. 

Here's why…

There are 3 primary types of candles made today:

• Paraffin
• Soy or Coconut
• Beeswax

Paraffin is a byproduct of petroleum, so it's probably not a good idea to burn it…well, anywhere. The fumes are known to be toxic.

Soy candles are made with soybean oil, which can go bad over time. These candles have a shelf life of 1 to 2 years. Same thing with coconut candles.

But they are cheaper than beeswax and burn longer than paraffin. They are also biodegradable and non-toxic.

That leaves beeswax candles. They are the longest burning of the 3 types and can be kept indefinitely, when stored properly.

Unfortunately, beeswax candles are also the most expensive.

So when I had to choose between soy and beeswax, I went with beeswax because replacing soy candles every couple of years would have been more expensive in the long run.

You can get 100% beeswax candles on sites like Etsy, or from independent producers. Do not get them on Amazon, because you don't know what you're actually getting. A candle only has to be 51% beeswax to be considered a beeswax candle.

To have enough light for 3 weeks, you'll need about 8 hours of light per night, times 21 days, which is 168 hours of light. Divide that by the number of hours each candle burns to get the number of candles you'll want to store away. Also consider buying a few extras, just in case.

Once you have enough beeswax candles to last 3 weeks, get some waterproof matches to light them and a lantern to keep them from blowing out. Put the candles and matches in a waterproof bag and store them in a cool, dark place.

Cleaning Supplies

You probably already have some cleaning supplies, but keep a few in storage, just in case. Cleaning supplies will allow you to disinfect surfaces that might become contaminated after a disaster.

It helps to have the following:

• Isopropyl alcohol to clean injuries, tools and eating utensils
• Basic surface cleaner to clean up spills

That's all you really need. Large sizes can be bought at big box stores like Costco or Walmart.

Gas or Solar Generator

A generator is essential for keeping your fridge/freezer going and charging your devices.

Which one should you choose? That will depend a lot on your situation.

Gas generators make a lot of noise and can make you a target in emergency situations. However, if you don't have much sun in your area, then this will be your only option. Some generators will run on natural gas, propane or gasoline, giving you the option to buy the most available fuel.

Solar generators are perfect if you get a lot of sun in your area. They are silent and don't give off any fumes. You also don't have to worry about fuel shortages.

Regardless of which one you choose, be sure that your generator has enough capacity to cover the initial spike in electricity draw when you first turn on your fridge or freezer. This is known as the peak capacity.

You might want to have both types to be sure that you're covered.

Heating/Cooling

If extreme temperatures are an issue in your area, then be sure to have the appropriate heating and cooling solutions stored away.

In cold conditions, consider buying extra blankets, space heaters or a wood stove. You can get mylar thermal blankets for cheap and they are super compact.

When preparing for hot weather, consider buying electric and manual fans, keeping frozen water bottles in your freezer and having extra tarps for shade.

Backup Communication

In most major emergencies, mobile phone service will be down for a time, sometimes several days.

Therefore, it makes sense to have backup communication for your household and even between others in your community. Here are some options that you can research.

• LoRa (Meshtastic, etc.)
• Ham
• Citizens Band
• Walkie talkies
• Reticulum

Each option has its benefits and downsides.

Here are the benefits of using LoRa with Meshtastic.

Operating a ham radio requires a license, while the other options don't. Generally, a ham radio will give you the greatest range, so figure out if you really need that range or not.

If you don't need that much range, the other options can still give you several miles of coverage.

Also consider getting more than one type of communication device for redundancy.

Most importantly, test out your equipment when you get it to be sure that it works and so you know how to operate it.

Batteries

Whenever possible, I buy devices that use AA or AAA batteries. I do not buy devices that have proprietary batteries or batteries that are not removable.

This allows me to buy a bunch of AA and AAA batteries and not worry about if I can get special batteries in the future.

You can get alkaline batteries for cheap at places like Costco. They can be stored in these battery cases.

For everyday use, it also helps to buy a bunch of rechargeable batteries on Amazon. Be sure to also have a couple of chargers handy.

Stove with Fuel

The next thing you'll want to have is a stove. This will allow you to have hot food, make coffee/tea and and keep warm.

Commonly used options are:

• Propane
• Butane
• Wood

Do some research and find out which fuel source is most available in your area. Remember to follow all warnings for each type of stove.

My go bag also contains a small wood stove, just in case. I also keep a ferro rod with it.

Portable Battery Packs

Another type of battery that's useful to have is a portable battery pack. It's not completely necessary, but it comes in handy in everyday life too.

You can use it charge your phone when you're out and about.

This is what my battery pack looks like. I have very short charging cables that don't take up too much room in my battery case.

Power Cables and Chargers

Once you have your batteries and devices sorted, be sure to buy extra cables and charging adapters. It's always good to have more than you think you need because it's easy to leave them in a bag, lend them to a friend or forget them in your car.

It's best to buy these items on Amazon or eBay because they can be expensive if you buy them individually from a store. Thrift stores are also a great place to get charging supplies for cheap.

Tools

It can help to have some basic tools available in case you need to fix things. Buy a medium sized toolbox and the following tools to get started.

• Hammer
• Screwdrivers (flathead and Philips), it helps to have a kit with multiple bits
• A socket set
• Pliers
• Drill
• Hacksaw
• Pry bar
• Leather gloves

If this seems daunting, then get yourself some gloves and a multi tool at the beginning. This will take care of a majority of small jobs that you'll need to do around the house and it's extremely portable.

I have 2 Letherman tools, the Wave and the Skeletool.

After that, you can pick up tools as you find them. Garage sales and thrift stores are excellent places to get good deals on tools.

Cash

Electricity and the internet are usually down after a disaster, so in these situations, cash is king. 

Have some extra cash stored away in case you need to buy things from stores or other people. It doesn't have to be a lot, just enough to get you through 3 weeks.

Keep in mind that things could be more expensive during emergencies, so having more than you think you'll need is essential.

Small bills are ideal because most places won't have a lot of change available if you have to buy low cost items.

Medications

It may not be feasible to have extra medication available, but if you can get some, store them away for later. Also keep them all in one place and consider keeping them in a bag that you can just grab and go during an emergency.

If you do have medications that have a long shelf life, then consider getting extras the next time you buy them and put them in your emergency bag.

Which brings us to the emergency bag or “go bag.”

4. Build an Emergency Bag

Now it's time to build an emergency bag, also known as a go bag or bug-out bag. This is a bag that you can grab and go in case of an emergency.

Unlike your other preps, this is a bag that will have enough stuff to get you through about 3 days.

It's more for if you have to evacuate and be away from home for a few days.

To save time and money, you can simply pack some of your existing preps into your emergency bags.

Get a medium sized duffel bag and pack it with as much stuff as one person can carry. I would also suggest packing 1 bag per person in your household so everyone has their own stuff and there are backups in case one bag is lost.

Consider packing the following:

• Flashlights with batteries
• Candles, matches and lantern
• First aid kit
• Extra clothes
• Freeze dried food
• Stove and fuel
• Water container
• Personal water filter
• Medications (if possible)

Since you'll have to carry this stuff around, keep it minimal. It's great to be prepared, but lugging around 100 pounds of stuff isn't practical either.

You can get inexpensive, high quality bags at thrift stores, or on eBay.

5. Learn to Use Your Gear

Having the right preps is great, but you need to know how to use them.

When it comes to gear like flashlights or stoves, you should know if they work or not. Even if they do work, do they operate like you expected, or are they substandard?

Eat your emergency food. Is it as much food as you expected? Do you actually want to eat it?

Many times, freeze dried food comes in buckets or containers and if you never open them to see what's inside, you'll never know how much is actually in there.

So don't just buy all this stuff and store it away.

Actually test out your preps before you need them. 

Prep for Your Area

Once you have some basic preps in place, it's time to figure out what additional measures you might have to take in your area.

Here are some of the natural disasters that can take place around the world.

• Hurricanes
• Tornadoes
• Floods
• Wildfires
• Blizzards
• Power outages
• Earthquakes
• Tsunami
• Volcanic activity

Since this is a beginner's guide, I won't go into each scenario individually. However, I will get into each one in later guides.

For now, research what natural disasters can happen in your geographic location and build on your preps accordingly.

Maintain Your Gear

Once you have your preps in place, it can be easy to get lazy and forget about them. But just because you have all of the stuff you need, doesn't mean that you'll be set forever.

Here are some things to check on a regular basis. It's a very good idea to check on your preps every year.

You'll only need a few minutes and doing so will give you the confidence that you are ready for whatever may come.

• Make sure your food isn't expired
• Check to see that your stored water is drinkable
• See if your batteries are still charged
• Test your flashlights
• Inspect your matches and candles
• Use your stove and make sure you have enough fuel
• Test and charge your backup communication equipment
• Check your fuel to see that it's still usable
• Verify that your generator and battery packs are working
• Make sure that your stuff is in one place and review what you have
• Review your disaster plans and checklists with everyone in your household so they know what to do

You get the idea.

Create your own checklist and a schedule to double check your preps.

Connect With Like-Minded People in Your Area

A step that many people overlook is being able to rely on their neighbors during an emergency.

In an age when we are all separated by phones or computer screens, in-person relationships are possibly the most valuable asset. Instead of waiting for an emergency and not knowing if you can trust the people around you, get to know your community now.

Once you find people who you resonate with, start talking about how you can help each other. It doesn't have to be super formal plans. But get an idea of their strengths and weaknesses and how you can contribute to the group.

It can also help to plan out expensive purchases so you aren't all buying the same stuff. For example, a couple of people could be responsible for generators and other people could buy communications equipment.

Your greatest resource is the people around you. Doing it by yourself is going to be very difficult, even if you have a lot of money.

Final Thoughts

You don't need to have a ton of preps to get started. The simple checklist above will give you enough gear to get through most emergencies.

Remember to start small and build over time.

Trying to buy everything at once can be expensive and overwhelming. But if you create a plan and work on it every week, you can have what you need very quickly.

Now that you know what to do, it's time to get to work! Nothing happens unless you take action.

Get started now.

For more of my favorite gear, visit the resources page.