Welcome! He’s a Prepper. She’s a Prepper. I’m a Prepper too!

• Economic meltdown (local, national or global)- having extra groceries in hand, after the loss of a job and your current income will be a life-saver.
  
• Natural disasters, such as floods, hurricanes/tornadoes, winter storms, power outages- they may come quickly and last from a few hours to days into weeks.
  
• Pandemics– are unpredictable and can be simply disruptive to your family schedule should it be a mild one that causes localized illness, in your community. Or, it can be devastating if it becomes a global event that creates wide-spread illness and death, disrupting society and all the resources that you have come to know and love at your fingertips.
  
• Terrorism– an unknown threat that can be a localized event causing disruption in community routine or a large-scale event that causes severe disruption in our ‘essential services’ such as electric power and water.
  

• Water: Store at LEAST 1 gallon (preferably 3 gallons) per person per day. One gallon would be for consumption the rest for cooking and sanitation). Don’t forget your pets! NOTE: You could die after THREE (3) days without water! Water storage can be completed in a ‘three-tier’ system:
  
  • 1 Store bought water you purchase and have on hand, ahead of time
    
  • 2 Clean, empty containers that you store and fill up when you have advance warning of an emergency situation.
    
  • 3 The ability to filter and purify water that you may need to collect after the first two water sources are used up. Coffee filters (to filter) and bleach (to purify) are the simplest methods.
    
  
  
  
• Food: “Stock what you eat. Eat what you stock”-To get started, include canned goods, rice, beans & other non-perishable food items. Add a few extra items on each shopping trip. Use store sales and COUPONS. Look for sales and bulk dry goods. (Don’t forget your infants/toddlers and pets!)
  
  
• Alternate Electric Options-To prepare for possible essential services such as gas & electric being disrupted, stock battery operated items, wind-up items and manual items such as hand mixers and manual can openers. If you have solar lights in your yard, you have an alternate light source already!
  
  
• Alternate Cooking Options-Consider other ways to cook, if your electric stove is not working. You probably already have an alternate already in place: Gas grills & camp stoves use propane. Barbecue grills use charcoal. (Is there one of these in your back yard? On your deck? You can be a Prepper!)
  
  
• Alternate Communications-Most homes now have cordless phones that require electric to charge the handset. Consider a ‘land-line’ phone that makes use of the telephone jacks in your home. Have a cell phone? Consider a solar charger to keep that line of communication open.
  
  
• Alternate Sanitation– If trash removal is disrupted you will need plenty of extra LARGE/STRONG trash bags. Disruption of water may affect toilet flushing. Store a 5 gallon bucket with lid (you can get them for FREE from the bakery department of your local grocery store or Walmart!), plenty of plastic bag liners and you have an ‘emergency pottie’. (Get a spare toilet seat or just use one out of your bathroom). Have some kitty litter on hand to put in the bottom of the bag for absorption. OR … you can use the toilet in your bathroom, line it with a bag/kitty litter (Make sure the bag is secure and won’t slip into the toilet!) Or if you are financially able, you can purchase a camping-style potty.
  
  
• Medical: Prepare a first aid kit. One that is BIGGER than the band-aids and antibiotic ointment that you probably already have in your bathroom or kitchen! If possible, obtain a 1-3 month supply of any necessary prescriptions and over-the-counter medications (allergy, pain relief, cough & cold, etc) for all family members. Don’t forget to prepare for any elderly or disabled members of your household. Get a GOOD first aid AND medical book. They will be valuable if you can’t get to your local hospital or doctor.
  
  
• Personal Documents & Records: In the event of an emergency, and we loose power, whatever is stored on your computer may not be accessible. If you have to leave your house during an event, you may not be able to return unless you have proof of residence. Make copies of Certificates of Birth, Wedding & Citizenship; Driver’s License, passport, misc. ID documents, deeds, Automobile titles, etc. Don’t forget to include medical records, a list of all relaltives with names, addresses & phone numbers for emergency contact. Store in a waterproof package like a large zip lock bag.
  
  
• Make a Plan– Your family may be together or you may not be together when disaster strikes, so it is important to plan in advance. Ready.Gov has good information on pulling a plan together: http://www.ready.gov/america/makeaplan/index.html .
  

Drinkthekoolaid wrote:I don't really think of it as prepping, I look at it as insurance.


I have auto insurance, fire insurance, life insurance, a pension, a 401k I'm trying to prepare myself for as many of life's possible outcomes as I can.

I actually think it's far more likely I will need my prepping skills and supplies than I will home insurance.
I don't expect to have a house fire or a flood, yet I have homeowners insurance.


Being a "prepper" is no different. You observe and realize there are very plausible scenarios that are out of the ordinary that there are things you can do to put yourself in a better position to thrive under as many outcomes as possible.

I couldn't imagine living without having at least 3 months with food and supplies on hand at my house, the ability to protect myself or care for those I love.