3 Months Is All You Need As A Prepper - Here’s Why
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- čas přidán 9. 02. 2022
- How long should you be prepared for? 2 years, 1 year, 6 months? In this video, we'll look at the critical milestone preppers should target and why it should be the standard when starting your preparedness journey. Download the Start Preparing! Survival Guide here: bit.ly/3xWhVwZ
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Download the Start Preparing! Survival Guide here: bit.ly/3xWhVwZ
Cannot wait to see the roadmap
Just downloaded it. Thank you so much!
Chris, another great video, brother! Loved seeing the quote from Gordon B Hinckley. You're a good man. Thanks for all the great content
Nobody has gear or a plan before we know the location and situation. You may be in a Plane 30,000 feet in the air and plane crashes when SHTF starts. I cannot prep with gear cause lack of money. I do prep my mind and body and think deep about what I would do for your gear and food. 🤔💭 I living in my car since 2021. I learned a lot. Food, Warmth and Entertainment is your best bet. Buy some recipe books and a few board games.
@City Prepping do full out nuclear war and survive nuclear winter for 10 yrs.
One of the hardest things to do is ignore the expiration dates on food. I started prepping at the start of 2020 and now I’m eating “expired” food from 18 months ago. Turns out boxed chicken broth won’t kill you 1.5 years post expiration.
We are now using expired broth with expired canned chicken and mixed veggies for at least one meal a week, and replacing the items with new ones whenever possible. It's a surprisingly good meal, and gives us the satisfaction of not throwing away food that has gone past the best by date. Not stacked up to the rafters, but sufficient for me.
here in the uk theres two types of expiry dates theres the best before which is common on all foody stuffs and is just a guide, then theres the use by dates that need to be taken a bit more seriously, thats mostly on meds and perishables but even then they both are just saying this product may not be 100% after that date, (try at your own risk) some meds have been found to be ok well after the use by date,
I agree it is difficult to ignore best buy dates. I've found that focusing on "best by" instead of thinking "expiration" has helped me.
Don't confuse sell by dates as expiration dates
I remember when dates were not even put on canned foods. People have lost the ability to use senses. Looks good, smells good and taste. Just remember those three.
Three months to a year is great, but a lifestyle change is just as important. Grow your own food, just as parents and grandparents did not so long ago. Its not easy, otherwise everyone would do it. Mental fortitude/health is also a prep, as is overall physical health. That means recognizing the signs of collapse and making the right move before you have to. Godspeed and prep on.
If someone targets 3 months, It should probably be 3 months of any weather your zone has. Many don't prep for a cold winter's heat needs, or a hot summer's AC needs. Most solar systems can only supply a mini-split, and not a full house unit.
@@DaedalusHelios absolute truth
Three months in storage plus a garden. Through experience you have skills to step up your gardening. You’ve got three months in storage plus what you’ve already planted to buy time to scale up the garden. Once it becomes life critical, you will be willing to put in the effort and become imaginative in efforts to survive.
@@finngamesknudson1457 Grid up, land can provide a good amount per acre. But grid down will require far more land due to not having trucks delivering your seeds, fertilizer, pesticides(natural or synthetic), and PH altering additives to keep those plants from withering to dust. Water in many areas, like mine, is not the issue. Those other supplies will be greatly missed though.
@Dale Cobb Great comment. Thanks.
" If help has not come in 3 months, we're in a new world." I love it!
Keep telling yourself that.
6 months is the old school standard. The farmer had to get through the winter so his pantry was at least that deep..😎🕊🧡
True.i also have 5 gallon buckets to collect rain.a old blade lawn mower I got at auction.and a bike and CB.
I started prepping in 2016, I can finally say I hit my year worth of food and supplies a month ago. Since I live in the city, space was my biggest issue. My brother and I decided to purchase some land miles outside the city and use it as a secondary meet-up, hunker down location.
I think the most difficult part was trying to prepare for each emergency scenario. Earthquakes, EMP attacks, Nuclear, Civil unrest, terrorists, zombies, aliens etc. Lol
Everyone use to think I was crazy, then the Pandemic hit...my family immediately got onboard.
Good for you!
Funny, that's when mine started taking me seriously as well. My phone blew up when the C hit and everyone finally realized I was paying attention and not mentally ill. 😔
That will come in handy come June 😂
Anyone can live with money. But prepping your constantly learning how to better live without money. That's impressive. Self sufficient is the way. Prepared not scared.
As Mark Watney would say, "Do the math." 3 meals a day times X days. 90 cans of soup, 180 packs of oatmeal, 90 cans of tuna, add in a boat load of rice and pasta. Throw in a bunch of tomato sauce & a few cans of chicken, and you can be a solid 3 months in no time.
Math & Physics baby
But then you still have no ability to PREPARE youf rice, your noodles....
@@Freiya2011 I have stored water and gasoline, and have dual fuel camping stoves. Cooking and boiling water is not a problem.
@@doktaahwho8858 then you are well prepared! I bought myself camping stove. I'll have to collect rain water and filter it.
You don't need 3 meals a day though
I eat twice and it's easy
One type of prepping food that are largely underrated are canned/dried fruits and berries. Your body can't function properly in the long run unless you get enough nutrients! Canned peaches in light syrup doesn't fill your belly too much, but it provides essential nutrients, plus you can obviously drink the syrup for a quick energy boost! Fruits, vegetables and berries also give a huge mental boost!
True. I think of it also as a morale booster because they are somewhat in the “treat” category. Definitely could help with food fatigue.
Nonorganic canned peaches are full of pesticides. I don’t want cancer!
Have you considered vitamin tablets?
How about Balance of Nature pills?
Have the kids read about the Donner party, that should stop the eye roll, lol
Three months, three weeks, three days. That is how long a pig is pregnant. Easy to remember. Thank you for a calm approach to being ready.
Did not realize that...thanks for sharing
Personally speaking 3 days was a slam dunk to accomplish and once we had it it felt good. We then shifted to 3 weeks. This seemed a bit daunting but I noticed myself thinking I need to get us to 3 months and this seemed like a bridge to far. We nonetheless started to work on 3 weeks but I kept getting bogged down thinking I can’t do 3 months. Didn’t have the space or the funds to get there, etc. I SLOWLY made some progress on the 3 weeks and then hit a mental tipping point that we were almost there and finished it out.
Yes, we went on to 3 months and slowly chipped away at it and yes I had those thoughts of 1 year and almost threw the towel in. I learned to just do a bit at a time and before we knew it we were making progress and the overwhelming thought of the task became more manageable.
Can you eat an elephant? Yes, one bite at time. Just do the next right thing right in front of you and you will get there. Good luck!
I'm also in Anchorage , even with the climate challenges we have up here , yes it can be done. happy to hear you have your preps in order.
I get it. Little by little abs it adds up quicker than you realise. But you always see those vids where they have like a decade worth of food... But it takes time to get there
3 days? Shouldn’t everyone have atleast 3 days of food at all times? It’s not like people go shopping every single day and only buy enough for the next 3 meals.. Seems like at least a week of food would be in everyone’s pantry.
@@johnestes Hope you are also in a good place with yours John
Can you eat an elephant? ONLY IF YOU DON'T PAY ATTENTION TO THE EXPIRATION DATE!!!! 🤣
I have enough food for 3 months. My weak spot is with water. I could only last for about a week. I do have a filtration straw, but I do not have the items to store huge amounts of water. I wonder if you might consider an episode dealing with long term water gathering and storage. I really appreciate how much you are sharing with others. The years of disaster relief work you've done are extremely valuable. Thank you SO much for sharing with the rest of us!
Never underestimate the collection of rainwater. You just need to be smart about rationing it. Yes, even in an apartment or condo you CAN collect it. Ever left a lid upsidedown outside? Think more like a umbrella, tied upsidedown, leaning towards your window or balcony and a 5 gallon bucket catching what hits it. It's totally doable. Don't forget in the winter you can melt snow into water.
Never ever say "I cant"....there is always a way.
As someone who's struggled with the same problems, here's the solutions I've come up with.
1. Locate nearby water sources that don't require an outside power source. You'd be surprised how many parks, campsites, etc have manual wells. Rivers, creeks, ponds, etc are also good locations to make note of.
2. Identify the water table in your area to see if you can install a manual well on your property. I have an older house that still had a functioning well in the basement, even though it's connected to the city supply now. If for some reason you're not "allowed" to put a well on your property, consider a driven-point or other DIY style well that you could install in the privacy of your own home. Just keep in mind that some municipalities don't allow the installation of wells below-grade because of the possibility of contamination if the basement floods.
3. Pulling water from the atmosphere is a decent method if you live in a moist climate. There are lots of resources on the internet for DIY atmospheric water generation devices.
@Jut De your are right about collecting water from the atmosphere. I'm in Minneapolis, and in the summer we run the dehumidifier because the basement gets very moist. Lots of water is collected; we dump at least 3 times a week, and that's without it being humid.
Get some water filtration tablets. They are pretty cheap and come in packs.
@@JWFitness1 that's water purification tablets not filtering, you need to know how to filter it before you purify it.
Many people don't remember that their hot water heater hold 55 gallons or more.
I have three years worth of food stored, which is easily scaled up with the year round gardening I am always doing to produce fresh fruits, vegetables and nuts. I have redundancy with water by having a well that is maintaining my 8,000 gallon water tank uphill from my home as well as a year round stream running through my property. I have also been a Fire Captain and EMT for 37 years and have numerous other skill sets that will always be valuable grid up or down. Finally, I am off grid with my electricity for over three years now, and have portable solar power stations should the need arise to bug out. When one is prepared to this level, it becomes much easier to imagine helping others in crisis.
That is great. I also have a water veil in my garden. I escaped from the city last July to the countryside in Hungary. In winter it is extremely boring to watch the mud and snow everywhere but except for winter it is really relaxing and feels like i am on holiday. 😅 I started to grow my own food this year, and it was so wonderful to eat cucumber and eggplant what i planted and nourished. I am planning to buy some more land if possible and invest in an orchard. By the time i get old, they would produce nicely. I still have more than 20 years to work until retiring.
Nice, I will survive quite well because of people like you.
@@ToxicGamer86454What do you mean by that?
@@devin7541
I have no idea what you’re talking about
@BlackFlag714 my nephew used to think like that. Then I explained my preps for people that think that way and he started buying his own supplies. Professional training, experience, and a sense of duty to spouse and grandchildren make seemingly soft targets a bit harder than expected by the video game generation.
Something that I've never heard being addressed on prepper channels, is learning to fast.
I've been fasting now for six months not for weight loss or the multitude of health benefits it offers but to condition myself for hard times.
Learn to have tempting food right in front of you and how to say no consistently, my PB is 5 days.
Fasting is huge for rationing.
I’d also recommend in the prep world, mental and physical grit - the ability to thrive with a high suck factor.
Lots of people prepare without pressure testing the plans.
My husband and I fast along with my kids. We do/did it to stay healthy. I'm so glad we also only eat a maximum of 2 meals per day. Sometimes a 24 to 48 hour fasts. I'd love to go 36 hours. Good for you!
@@kellyh4052 that's awesome, I'm glad to hear a whole family getting involved. Results can vary from men to women, from what I've read, woman probably shouldn't go much longer than 48 hours.
Keep up the good work
And people wonder why I have a bunch of water bottles in my house at all times, and shop for a minimum of a month at a time.
ESier to store gallon jugs.
I feel pretty good about my preps after listening to this. 3 months is a done deal. I'm prepping for the long haul. 50 gallons stored in the house 600 (potable)and 300 non-potable, stored out under the house. Established a cistern to trap rainwater. Numerous filtration apparatuses, both portable and non-portable.
Tons of seeds stored, both for growing and sprouting. Water is my main concern. Food, I can grow, forage, trap, shoot(fun or arrow), fish, coastal forage.
My second concern is knowing if my kids are absorbing the info. The eye roll is real.
Regarding kids, might be best to conduct a drill. That might draw out their creative/competitive side and surprise you. Give them more praise than criticism and they’ll come along.
@@raspillade6027 I agree. Skits and puppet shows are always a good teacher as well. They’ll also surprise you with what they know. You just have to make it fun!! Haha easier said than done
Noah's BIGGEST problem was water - followed by people who wouldn't listen or prepare when they had AMPLE time. The irony is that water was also the solution. And his ark was packed! Note that he didn't let the jerks on board because there simply wasn't room.
Going to do things differently with my garden this year, the walls that use a trickle down drip system are very intriguing! I'm also a fan of plants with smaller fruits that produce abundantly - like Sweet 100 tomatoes. I'm tucking plants everywhere so no water will be wasted.
Last year I retained water around my dwarf fruit trees by using old carpet padding and covering it deeply with mulch & compost. I have no lawn, we just mow the weeds occasionally since we need dandelions to feed the bees. Our mulch is super deep & I NEVER use weed killers. I will use boiling water & vinegar in crevices but gardening in the cracks may yet keep me alive.
Sidewalk salad - especially arugula - is mighty delicious!
I'm familiar with that eye roll...and the "oh mom" comment.
Helen Alderson, hope the eyeroll of your children is harmless. 😄
It troubles me that many people today not only fill their homes with useless junk, but rent storage units and fill them with useless junk. Instead of
having useful hobbies as people used to do, like gardening or reading, many people shop or watch reality TV. I'm glad there are people paying attention to
you and preparing for a future which may be unclear. Tina, Al's wife
Hi
Something I've shook my head over for decades, how often does the storage rent exceed the value of items over time?
Neighbor has a cheesy little back yard shed that I guarantee nothing has ever been removed from this century nor ever will be.
(until owners die and kids have to dispose)
I cleared a book shelf of useless trinkes. It now serves as storage space for can goods. 👍
Al's a lucky man. 🙂
"fill you house with weird food you'll have to start living on in a year."
I used to work in a hospital. It was preached at us and preached at us to "go check expiration dates" and "make sure nothing is outdated". This was for EVERYTHING, even a bandaid. I struggle now as a retired person, to not feel weird about the dates. But I am also too cheap to throw away good food!
I find that some food is still good after the best by date.
@@lindaertel7558 that's why it's a 'best by' date.
It's fine. It's just not best.
The only food the FDA regulates by date is infant formula.
If canned food is stored at a steady cool temperature it will not "go bad" it will merely lose nutritional value and possibly texture. But it won't go bad. I run a small food shelf and this was one of the first things I learned. Dates on cans are designed to keep food rotated and also to give a sense that it is no good so that you will purchase more food. I can see the potential for liability in a hospital setting but certainly not in your own cupboards.
You can always donate it or take it to the bums under the bridge.
Just used a can of coconut milk that was 5 years past best by date. We have eaten both vegetables and meats that were that far past the date. Take a deep breath and learn a new thing. If you are still nervous look up the military’s research on this topic.
For those of you who struggle with water preps, try this:
Buy a few large bottles of water (1 or 2 liters in size) Drink them up, wash & disinfect the bottles and REFILL with water that you yourself have filtered and store that full bottle of filtered water away. In 3 months you will have saved 3 months of drinking water. Store it all in a dark, cool place; an unused bedroom or basement. Make sure these plastic bottles are the thick, hard kind and not those thin collapsible ones. Also, consider purchasing a rain water barrel. You can find used ones online for fairly cheap. Get your gutter's downspout to drain into that. Use this water for watering garden, washing clothes or dishes, or even showering. They hold 55 gallons.
I think the 'one year supply' thing revolved around the idea you'd be able to make it through lean times until the harvest, or if a harvest failed due to drought, insects or whatever. For people in small living areas, you can make (or they sell them) storage systems that fit under a normal bed, and that will hold quite a bit. It slides on rails, so it's not a backbreaker pulling things out. If you really look at space, you might start to notice there are unused areas you could use. If your clothes on hangers leave you some room under them, use that area from the floor to the clothing to stack cases of canned goods. Or, if yer high speed, your 5 gallon food grade buckets, complete with oxy absorbers and mylar bags. I don't use the mylar, as I'm not saving for 25 years, merely 5. Buckets are on the floor, safe from pests, and the clothes are a few inches above that. No problem. I have enough for 9 months, which will get me through most things. After that, it's likely things will be too broken for someone of my age and diabetic condition to worry about it. I wanted to keep things at a level I could rotate my pantry without too much of an issue. I'm not stacking things to the rafters. I'm not climbing a ladder to reach the Mac & Cheese, ain't happening.
I understand.
Good points
Hope you’ve stocked up on your medications. That is something ‘high level’ enough to not be available for considerably longer than food and water are an issue. Not critical for most people, but highly critical for those individuals.
We are wanting to sell our house and getting ready for showing it. I’m like, “It isn’t normal to have shelves of food and other items literally stacked in every crevice, so I’m putting it in storage bins to make it look like we are packing, and shoving a lot under beds. 😂 I’m having to be really creative. It’s not going to be like a staged home but it’ll be a lot closer than it was. On the bright side, they will have a lot of custom storage shelves made for the home 😂
@@melissasmomglam omg!! The people we sold our house to last March, thought we were strange, all the preps, safe room? Lol.
As we like to say..."Prepare every day like it's hurricane season ". Great video!!
I like that saying...definitely gets you thinking differently :)
@@CityPrepping yes it does, and that's what we want. Folks like us who are trying to share information on preparedness with others and encourage others who may be on the fence, want to click people's minds in a positive direction. That's why we do what we do lol!
Buy Multivitamins and over counter Medicines.
Particularly Vitamin C. Our bodies can't store it. Buy generic Ascorbic Acid - its dirt cheap.
This is good advice for prepping. 3 days of emergency supplies is a good place to start. Start small and go from there.
One of the biggest problems would be if the sewer system shuts down.
Yup
That’s is when a shovel comes in handy.
@@reainer I have a shovel .. LOL
If you have a bucket and a compost bin you can deal with it by making 'humanure'. I wouldn't put it on edibles though!
@@reainer Shovels are not what is recommended..The ability to compost your solid waste is the safest route..
I totally agree with the 3 months goal. After that you're looking at homesteading and not prepping.
Don't waste money on a life straw.
Get yourself a MSR miniworks EX filter.
They are $120 online and will last for years.
What makes them unique is a large ceramic filter that can be cleaned or even sanded if they're really dirty.
This filter is a hand pump, has a 3 ft hose to reach your source and attaches to a 1 liter Nalgene bottle.
It's light (1.5 lbs) and has been part of my ultralight camping equipment for 20 years.
I must admit the pros and cons for us city preppers , im prepped up for 9 months I'm 2 miles from lake for my fresh water fish and drinking water. But one thing is an issue , if SHTF I'm in Chicago and my nearest neighbors homes are 10 next feet next to me on each side from my home, so I never talk to any of them about pereping , like they say a wise man once said , Nothing. Thanks for your video. 👍
In cold Canada … 6 months of preps gets you through winter into summer… water is typically less of an issue due to regular snow and rain plus all of the lakes we have … cold is the killer here … so fuel is king
I just started prepping at 22 soon after the covid thing started to afford the government room to overreach. Unfortunately I'm 23 and trying to stockpile what's necessary for SIX PEOPLE because my dad and his wife, my sister with her son, they refuse to take any steps to prepare themselves for disaster. I would have it a lot easier if I was only prepping for me and my toddler. I wish I could just say "you reap what you sow, I warned you to gather food at least" but I just can't do that lol
I have relatives like that. So, I buy them supplies of all varieties for birthday gifts, Christmas, Mothers and Fathers Day. I did this before covid, got them things like a massive store size medical kit cabinet, fire extinquiishers, tens item for tight muscles, oximeter, emergency weather radio, certain foods, etc. Its funny though once covid hit they were happy to have all the things I bought them. Before that they were like, we don't need this stuff. But still, on gift day they open up a huge wall cabinet medical supply gift and they were in awe, saying things like, wow this thing is impressive, I won't need to buy another bandaid for years...as they smiled.
Im in a similar situation. Dunno of it makes you feel any better. It took my Dad to watch the Ukraine situation unfold to get *somewhat* serious about prepping. Thats what he says. We'll see what he does. I have foid stored for everyone. Im weak in the water category...
IF you are living with them, then yes you can prep for everyone if it's your choice. Afterall, they will have access to your supplies living in the same house. But, if you live on your own it's not your job to prepare FOR them. Thing is, it's important to take care of family BUT you are young and need to be responsible only for what is your responsibility. Reading the book, Boundaries by Hennry Cloud and John T. helped me tremendously. At your age resources can be tight so having to take on that expense is too much imho. If you live at home with them, can you sit down and talk to them, saying I want our family prepared and how can each of us do our part so that we are provided for in case of emergency. Maybe lead things, saying I can help this way and I can be the one responsible for getting what we need but would you be willing to contribute money or time in helping us reach this goal?
Sadly, if they are completely resistant or not even remotely open to hearing whatever you have to say it may be time to sit down with yourself and have a meeting on what you Can do, are Willing to do and your answers may result in life changes you need to do for YOU. Its awful when people dismiss your concerns but the only change you can do is you. Hard to accept but reality of the situation, it is what it is
What I did is just start taking x amount of $ every pay and buying an extra few items like a case of canned goods.youd be surprised how quick your stash ends up growing
Don't forget that all your stockpiles are worthless if you also don't take measures to avoid just being someone else's stash to raid when the times get really tough or you have to go on the run because your home isn't viable for whatever reason.
Totally agree that 3 months is a great target. It’s possible, realistic and reasonable.
I have certainly grown over the last year in this department but I feel like I am always so far behind because of inflation and the realization that there is so much to do. Its not just about buying 500 lbs of beans,. You also need fuel, water filters... etc Its quite a marathon and planning is very important. I recently saw cans of Progresso on sale for 1$ if you buy 8 so I bought 8 on the spot. Now they are over 2$ I just bought an aero garden but its just 1. Every single piece adds to the marathon success
How do you like the Aerogarden?
@@Karen-jp1ns I'm actually just getting it going today. Just got seeds yesterday
Brian, I had the same experience with the Progresso soups I picked some up when they were on sale and now you get a nosebleed just looking at the prices. Keep your eyes open those kind of deals (and others) are still popping up unexpectedly.
A perfect example I had recently at our local Fred Meyers was Jobe’s Organic Fruit and Vegetables fertilizer was on clearance for $3.07 a bag it now regularly goes for $7.00+ per bag. I guess no one is buying fertilizer during January in Alaska… except me! 😂
Good luck with your preps.
Don't beat yourself up, you made the most important first step of starting prepping. Have the mindset of "slow and steady wins the race" and "you will be as ready as you are on the day an emergency hits." No one knows when an emergency is going to hit. You very likely will still be prepping a year or more from now with no SHTF event to speak of.
Good job, slow and steady
I have preps but I don't think people have thought, what happens if some relations turn up at your door. Your preps would go down in relation to how many turn up. If 1 then preps would go down 50%. 2 down to 33%. If 3 down to 25% and so on. Thanks for all your work.
That is why I stopped at 6 months of food I regularly consume. The way I see it, if there truly was a SHTF event where there was no food in the grocery stores for months, there is a good chance a decent number of preppers' food stores and gardens will be raided within that time. Also at 53, I don't see that happening in my lifetime. The primary reason for my preps are to hedge against inflation and shortages.
@@debbiec6216 I would add the climate crisis. Anyone paying attention knows the world's "bread baskets" are the ones being hit hardest by fires, droughts, floods, etc. Part of prepping is paying attention to world news. California is one of our major breadbaskets; it's been on fire or experiencing drought for a decade running. Time to pay attention to world trends. Agricultural experts are also prediction, god forbid, another Dust Bowl event because we went back to the same terrible farming practices. Not good.
Agreed
I started buying a bit extra today because of inflation. I started this week with Pasta. I’d like to get to a month.
If they can't find it they can't take it.
@@tennesseeterri They may not steal it, but make sure you have protection against fires as well. If you live in a wooded area, set up fire breaks around your house and storage areas. If you live in/near a city with neighbors, make sure there's enough space between the houses and if something happens be ready to clear out anything that could spread fire between their house and yours.
“On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero”. One of my favorite quotes from Fight Club!
That's why being sustainable is called the dream... because most preppers will never get there.
@A R I'm there already, 100% worth it 👌...Don't give up.
Here in Norway we have like 3 days for supplies after advice from our government. Trust me when im telling you this only the fewest people have it.
It's crazy how little people have with food storage. I started with this after Epic Economic and have now 3 month breakfast, two weeks with dinner, alot of batteries because that's will be the new currencie during a crisis. Money will have zero value during a crisis. But battery, batteri charger, food and other things.
Im working on to be having like 3 month with dinner in the few next weeks.
Also have alot of to the bathroom like toothbrush (multiply) don't wan't to use them after beeing sick specialy during a crisis.
Shampoo and other things as well.
Snacks are the next things on the to-do along with the dinner and water. Have about 15 liters, but i don't need much water because my plan are buying water filtration. Im also going to buy portable toilet. Without electricty the toilet won't work. There are so many things people don't think about.
Have also begin to watch video to learn how to master it if the world would go absolutly insane because the high inflation and if i have to bug-out i would need to have the skillz to survive that as well, because like how it's now we was on the peak few years ago and it will just go down. There are simply to many people on the planet with few resources.
Good advice! Thanks
I started my prepping last May 2020; at first I caught myself going crazy and buying too much too fast. I took a deep breath, brought myself back down to Earth, and after I assessed that I had 2 months of food, I came up with a realistic plan. I made a list of areas I needed to prep for (food, water, power sources, survival gear and medicines) and I added slowly to each area.. Building up my preps.
Brad from Full Spectrum Survival always talks about camping with his family. Last year I started doing that with my family (brought full line of camping gear). We are gaining some valuable experience of being out in the woods, should we ever get an SHTF bad enough in which we have to flee to the woods (we live in a large city on the East Coast ). I just started my seeds indoors, praying to grow a successful small garden this year. I also lots of seeds , should we need them in the future.
Oh, currently my food preps are up to 7-8 months (longer if we ration). My goal is to have enough to get us through at least the next coming winter.
Our church has been encouraging, cajoling, reminding, and warning us for decades to have a year's supply. I'm not real encouraged by polling members of our local area unit as a member of our Emergency Preparedness Committee as to the status of their efforts. I'm totally guilty of this myself. Life gets in the way. Kids, activities, work, sports, blah, blah, blah, but now we're approaching a dire situation and there truly isn't a clear solution to the JIT system, the droughts, shortages of almost everything. A long-winded way of saying thank you, Chris, for the gentle reminder and encouragement and a roadmap!!! I hope many will heed the warning.
And all the while you could be teaching your kids these life skills sad face
"On a long enough timeline, the survival rate drops to zero" - Tyler Durden fight club
One of my favorite quotes of all time!
Love you videos brother.
Great movie :)
Prepping for sure takes time, .. I've been prepping years, and still preparing. ... Goes from preparing for a week, to a month, to 3 months, .. also preparing to Bugging Out is a chore!
I started my Prepping journey back in the 80's (Back then we were all call survivalist) I so wish I had you to teach me all of those years ago, so many mistakes would have been avoided. whether you will admit it or not Kris, You are a God send. Thank You
Survivalist here🙋🏻♂️
If u dont have a hand pump well and some solar and batteries ur way behind,get this at a bare minimum 👍😁
This video is 💯💯💯 true. I started seriously prepping 2.5 years ago. When I started I did feel overwhelmed with a year as my goal. I wish this video came out then because nobody has broke it down for a beginner before like this, that I have seen. Definitely will use this a video to spread the message!!!
Agreed..... same here
1 year is a great goal, but yeh, starting out, it is overwhelming. baby steps!
I have between 2 & 3 months. Not counting my regular pantry (I was raise keeping a good pantry). I have a rain barrel & use the water to water my small garden. I’m alone & 73. I work on adding every week. I dehydrate & also make powders. I pray everyday that my children & grandkids will be able to thrive. God please guide us.
For people living outside of municipal water resources: You can get one or more deep cycle marine 12 V batteries from places like Batteries and Bulbs, and go to Harbor freight to get a High-wattage Inverter to connect to the battery to then energize your well pump, and sump pump, etc. for intermittent use. I keep mine on a float charger, and have recently acquired a 300 W solar panel array from Harbor freight if the power goes down for longer than my batteries will keep a usable charge.
This will also power my reverse osmosis system. No need for me to store water in bulky containers.
This system is also silent, so the neighbors won’t hear a generator✅
people that think they don't have preps for three days probably don't know how to cook from scratch very well. Maybe they should watch some channels on depression era cooking, it's pretty basic and more simple than that would think
Three days is a ridiculously easy target. I'm boggled that anyone wouldn't have that on hand just to avoid daily grocery trips. I grocery shop at most weekly and eat 80+% at home. Fresh food tastes best and gets eaten first, and it's about 50% of the diet. The other 50% comes from stored food that is long shelf life, bought in bulk. I'm somewhere between 3wks and 3mo at any given time. I live in a very rainy environment near a river, and have a filtration system. I still keep about 20 gal in containers on hand. Fuel is 15gal propane and a cord of firewood.
Mostly the very poor, extremely bad planners, elderly, disabled (including cognitively) - these will be the people without a 3 day supply of food. Also homeless people
When Maria strike here in P.R. i though i have only 1 month of supply but with proper use last me almost 2,been an electrician I was trading my service for food and fuel rather than money because banks was not working and supermarkets was full all time.
The best preps are the ones that last a lifetime, such as knowledge or lifestyle changes. 3 months of supplies is certainly adequate for most of us. God bless.
Great information. As a 68 year old man with limitations (physical) my wife and I have been preparing for about 2 months and I think we are squared away for about a month.
We are looking to bugging in unless that's impossible and at that point we still have a plan.
THANKS!
Living off grid for 4 years to build my business was like when people say "do a dry run weekend" now I'm doing a van build to travel, but that's indirectly also a plan B (I should store a water filter in it 🤔) keep up the good work
Survivalist is a 24/7/365 not just when there's an event. EDC is edc every day. it's not just about items it's skills.
I been doing this since 1980s as a teen. I'm not a " prepper" though I do prep that's just an element of a survivalist. Also elements are tactical skills and medical skills. Prep alone is just a stuff gatherer.
Yes. True skills. I cringe when a video comes up someone BBQ. Starts a fire with gasoline. So....dumb & dangerous. Also chemicals are hazardous. People dont hear much about chemical injurie. But most are fatal. I served us army & Navy. And accidents are caused by stupid people. Parents need to stress with newer generations Safety protocols.
I've just begun this journey in 2022. I've been honing skills and gaining strength.
Part of my preps for water is a year around river a mile from my house with purification and filtration.
I have a lot of sealed water stored.
I have enough food stored to be comfortable for at least 3 months.
I also have multiple ways to cook with solar, propane, and wood.
I have solar panels that I can activate during a grid down provided there is a clear sky with sunshine.
I'm worried about solar because I live in the PNW. Don't get a lot of sun. I'm wondering if I should just skip the solar and concentrate on other modes of energy 🤔
@@elleemann oh I live PNW
Yes I have been saying this forever! A year is overrated because the likelihood of us being able to Shelter in place at home for an entire year is super unlikely. I think 3 to 4 months is a good bar for most people, 6 to 9 months would be exceptional. Beyond that, if you’re seriously just eating out of your house, you’re probably going to have had to relocate.
I agree 100% and I also think WHERE you live makes a difference too. A year of supplies in the country makes sense, but if you live in the city, you will likely become a refugee and try to move somewhere things are better within 3 months. Everyone tends to assume everything is bad everywhere at the same time and that is rarely what happens.
Being prepared can't be stressed enough, especially if you or a loved on has special dietary needs. If someone has to restrict sodium, potassium, iron, etc. then you should make sure you are on top of that. Controlling diet is just as important as having the meds to take. If someone has serious allergies make sure you have extra meds and extra epi pens. It is very much about covering all your bases.
When I first started, I made lists, lots of lists, then I slowly started crossing off items as I got them !!!!!
I think we could make it 3 months on everything in our home, but I definitely need to get more for water harvesting / purification.
Remember that your water heater holds 45 gallons or so and throw a couple rain barrels around the house.
I have some limitations living on a military base. Having said that, I think could go 2weeks (including the water storage for two adults) given what I've been able to set aside.
If you are issued MRE's for training or whatever, set those aside if you're able. If you have access to a Commissary, that's a source many don't have. The prices aren't always the best, but now and then they beat the stores in town, and that's when to stock up. Of course, room is an issue, but your security is better than many, so that balances some of it out. Don't discount the value of clothing and training. When I got out, I had about a decades worth of socks and t-shirts, and I'm still using that sleeping bag I got in the Infantry, back in the 80's.
@@durgan5668 I'm on board with all you've said. Storage limitations are the bigger problem to contend with. Thanks for your comments.
If things get bad, remember your hot water heater is at least 40 gallons. Turn off the water.inlet valve so it doesn't not back flush out into the streets. And turn off the flame, or electric so it does not boil out.
I'm good for about a year and a half maybe longer. I continue to add and plant a garden and can it. I can meat and I use some of my stock to cook and get accustomed to making new and different things I'm not use to eating. I think it's important to cook different things from our preps that we normally don't eat because a time might come when that's all we can manage to get.
Kathy you’re doing great! Keep at it 👍👍
@@anchorageprepper9008 thank you we're working at it 1 day at a time.
Go back to 1830 s native lifestyle and then you will prepared drink from any stream and know hundreds of edibles and enjoy carion and walk barefoot in cold weather and one blanket for shelter. Just thinking 😁
Great video! Thing is, 3 months can end up being lots of food in the bin if one stores stuff that we don't eat in our day to day.
We have 3+ months food and water, all stuff we eat, and we rotate both, because we have only what we eat day to day. We became so used to use the 6 gallon jerry cans of water as a water source in our kitchen for everything except washing.
So, like you and many others say, prepping for an emergency is not buying stuff: it is changing habits and learning skills.
Please please do yourself a favor and look up the military’s study they did on this topic. They found that most canned food was still good five years past the date on the can. They ran the tests because of the need to check up on their own emergency food supply.
This is a timely video and great information. Inflation doesn't seem to be stopping and today is the cheapest you may find your staples. We've been seriously prepping for the past 6 yrs and gardening the past 3 yrs. Chris is correct...it's a marathon...Pay Day Prepping! We now easily have over 6 months of food. Water is a challenge. But, we have four 55GAL water storage barrels (treated), about 200 gallons of non-potable water, plus several different water filtration and purification devices. We always keep 1-2 cords of firewood stacked. I have a 4000kw generator and just received my Ecoflow Delta MAX solar generator. I add more to my inventory every pay day. Prepping is a lifestyle decision.
I watched one of your earlier videos in 2020 .. 4 to 7 weeks of preps was a good starting point and sense then I carefully been growing my preps .
I am not at the 3 month mark yet. We are working toward that goal and at about in all honesty a month worth of preps now. Toughest thing for me is the concept of rotation of my supplies, I need to set up a system of date marking that will enable me to make a quick assessment
Congratulations on reaching 1 month. I know that feels good. Keep it up! 👍
When getting groceries, I always take a permanent marker and write expiration date on everything. Then as I put away, just like the stores, I put newest to the back...
@@sheilapaytes9516 Exactly. Sharpie and masking tape that can be written on for pantry shelves what have doors, let me glance at the label outside to see what's even in there. But rotation is a very high priority. Keeps letting me know what I'm using, need to get, and mindful not to buy more of something than I can use in a reasonable time frame. Longer term stuff like rice and beans, I have a note on the lids with contents, dates taped down, I don't write on the buckets, because my tastes might change.
Also good to have a master sheet, chalkboard or dry erase board, you can put the items and dates for every location and container there, and makes it much faster to glance at your storage before planning meals or a shopping list.
@@durgan5668 you can take rubbing alcohol and cotton ball to remove permanent sharpie marker from those plastic containers !
Got the weekly flyer yesterday. Bush's baked beans. $1.00 a can. The people at the checkout think I'm crazy. I will buy 20 and nothing else. My wife does the regular shopping. I take care of are prepping. Have fun.
It always baffles me when I see the hordes of people buying generators and shovels before a snowstorm, even here in Northern New England. It's like, did you not keep the ones you bought last year?!
My thoughts, exactly.😂😷
Great video, thank you! Water storage can be a challenge, especially when you factor in how much is actually required to cook food! Dry beans use a fair amount of water to cook. Lentils generally don't require repeated rinsing, so they are one of my preferred protein choices for long term storage. They also cook up easily in a sun oven and can even be sprouted and eaten as a nutrient dense green, (again, water is still required).
When I consider my water needs, I now take into consideration the water required to cook the foods that I have put up. One particular 20 lb bag of white rice that I have stored would require almost 6.3 gallons of water to prepare, it provides 202 1/4cups dry (~3/4 cups prepared) of rice at 160 calories per serving, not enough calories for the day, so likely more water is going to have to be considered for cooking each day. Until I sat down and started factoring in my water needs for food preparedness, I was oblivious to how much I really needed to store. I am so happy that you bring such things to our attention, as it would be pretty uncomfortable if we did not plan to have enough water for all our daily needs and ended up crunching on meals of uncooked dry rice and beans!
Raw kidney beans will kill you.
I think people forget about the amount of water it takes to cook up all the rice and beans etc. that they store. I have some rice but that's it. I am focusing on three months worth, I actually have six months worth. It is mostly canned food or food that does not take much water to prepare.
Dry beans I figure 1 pound beans = 1 gallon water to cook.
Lentils are my favorite I eat them for breakfast.
@@rcat32 so will raw soy. And soy cannot ever be used for SPROUTS, POISON.
Whomever came up with the "1 gallon/person/day" was just wrong! I think it's more like 3 gallons/person/day. 1 for drinking, 1 for cooking, 1 for sanitation.
You quoted a great man, a year early rather then a day late. Our family only stocks the things we use, things we've tried, seeds that grow quickly so the seeds that take time can fruit. Great advice, read learn try . Thanks for the help
I can't put a value on your wise, calm, knowledgeable information. You are the refutation of the stereotype that preppers are selfish, paranoid, dangerous people locked and loaded and marooned in basements. Your videos inspired me to start and I've adopted the very things you say here. I want to emphasize the TIME part. It has shocked me how long it's taken to amass supplies (the most time is spent shopping sales and getting the absolute best price) clearing space, assembling shelves etc. Anyone who thinks they can do this on dime is in for a rude awakening which is why it's so very important that we keep urging others to begin. I can't put a value on the peace of mind that comes with being prepared. Likewise, I can't put a value on your tutorials. You're a national treasure. The government should hire you to do a nationwide educational campaign. Increasingly, my thoughts turn to how we can help others understand how every important (lifesaving) this work is. If the pandemic and the Texas debacle of a year ago don't awaken people, I don't know what will. Many many thanks for all you do.
I say 2-3 years per person for long term survival. 3 months will likely cover most scenarios. Unfortunately if it lasts more than 3 months it will never return to the way things were prior.
I could do a year on survival rations. I’m working on expanding into a year of a more normal diet, working on expanding and enhancing my ability to grow calories, and completing a modest field hospital. All that said, I’ve been at this since 1998, so I’ve had a considerable head start.
Three months really is a good threshold. For me, that’s getting through winter so I can plant in Spring. Real reasonable. Also teaches how to build and store.
You don't harvest in spring, though.
I say seven years. That way you can help others as well. Also make a prep community. Droughts happen. It's scary. I'm not even close, but that is what the LDS church recommends because that's how long the drought in Egypt and surrounding countries lasted.
@@dfreak01 No, but food is more available. And if you plant stuff like winter wheat in fall, it comes up in Spring, harvest by June. The three months is the easy access stuff.
@@marshutch3931 That’s ambitious. I would try to have that come from planting and other developments.
I live where there's harsh winters.
Three months won't take me through to the end of the growing season, much less take me to next year if a harvest fails... and it *will* fail.
Prepping for a month is the only thing I can do since I live in 12 sqm apartment, but storing water is difficult, I can only store water for drinking, but it's still better than nothing at all. People who are one paycheck away from being homeless really have to do this, that's the lesson I learned from covid.
Repping good ol' Gordy B. I love it.
Thank you for your videos! Always very helpful! I have been slowly added to my food stock pile over the last 6 months 👍
Just a tip I think most people overlook. If you workout and keep 5-10 lbs of protein powder on hand...thats ALOT of supplemental protein for an extended period of time. Plus, it's great for recovery if your activity levels go up.
I like ghev3 months, but for cooking, how about a few bags of charcoal briquettes with some lighter fluid to light them off. once going, they will cook or boil easily with minimum briquettes use. no smoke, and minimal danger
I've been canning a lot and making sure that all foods have more than enough water or juices so that less water is needed when ready to consume. I've been experimenting with cooking pastas and beans with the canned goods using less water than the packaging calls for and it's definitely doable and ends up with a nice result. We've been processing chickens and making gallons of bone broth then canning and storing them one for one. One pint canned chicken and one pint broth. Add one cup rice and you've got enough food for a hearty meal for two people. Store water in 5 gallon food grade buckets under the bed. A twin bed will handle at least 18 buckets. We replaced our sofa with an extra long twin mattress
That’s really smart. So many people underestimate storing broth. If water is ever hard to find, broth is nutritional to drink and can be used to cook with. I’ve been canning broth like crazy.
You LDS? Thanks for your videos. I’m still building my stash. I’m LDS too. God bless.
I thought the same thing when I saw the quote at the beginning of this video. Prophet G.B.H.
I'm a member of the LDS church also. Thank goodness for the LDS cannery! BYU has done so much work on nutritional needs & preservation.
The cannery has lists that help you figure out what to buy. I like that they sell to everyone & have sent many friends their way for those affordable #10 cans with a 10-30 year shelf life. Go Team BYU!!
I calculated a three month supply with my dry goods. Plus I have probably 100 quarts of home canned chilies and beef recipes, 300 pints of meat based recipes, soups.
Great advice. It's a marathon, not a sprint *and* it's personal.
Eat/Use what you store. Store what you eat/use.
Once again, great content !! Though I wish I had this video 3 years ago. Just like everyone, we learn as we go. Thanks for continuing to educate.
The amount of water we will need for a family of 6 for 3 mo is absolutely daunting, but crucial. My husband thinks I am being an alarmist. We currently have enough of all supplies for 3 weeks and I'm slowly building from there.
Slow and steady will get you there. Just don’t give up. You will get there! All the best in your preps 👍👍
Though I have food for 4 for about 6 months, I have only about 40 gallons of water set aside, about enough to get us through a week or two on rations. BUT, I live in the Pacific Northwest, so much rain and glaciers and creeks and streams, and Rivers, if all of that dried up and went away, I have trouble imagining a survival scenario at all. It is like with Climate Change, people call it Global Warming and it technically is, but it isn't about the warmth, it is about energy in the atmosphere and how that can change weather patterns so that growing season in many parts of the world would become unpredictable. We often focus on the wrong things. But if the world turned bad enough that water was not available in a temperate rain forest, well, I'd (and You'd) be screwed anyway. No one would survive very long.
I’ve taken on the majority of the task of getting my family to the benchmarks. My husband has so many other things to do and I love Kris because he has always kept prepping so level headed. Every so often I get that same alarmist push back from my hubby. So I try to give him basic scenarios that would simply include every day care for our huge family if he were not able to work and provide. While the world is in commotion, we don’t have to be. But, it for sure feels like I need to push a little harder to get to where I’ll feel less restless. The water is daunting, there are 10 in my family and our house is the go to for many of my kids (ages 17-23) friends. Where do we draw the line?! Slow and steady!
Consider getting water filtration tablets.
Just like eating an elephant, one bite at a time. Start with the easy items, rice, beans, oats. Then Add vitamins.
In 2003, Hurricane Isabel hit the east coast. At my house in Virginia, we were without power for 5 days. We had enough food and water, but no backup power. Sleeping was near impossible because of the heat and humidity. In 2005, Katrina hit and I used that event to start a journey. In both 2008 and 2011, hurricanes and tropical storms became a minor inconvenience because I had food, water, and backup power (and portable air conditioning :).
In 2017, I volunteered to go to Puerto Rico to help after Hurricane Maria hit. It was two weeks before the first fuel trucks started running. Power and communications were out over the whole island and initially water as well. By the time I left which was two months after the hurricane hit, half the island still had no power. In some areas, it was months before power was restored. While most of this was because Puerto Rico is an island, it points out that even in our "modern" times, problems can persist for weeks to months.
I like that you pointed out that a methodical plan with achievable milestones is far better than a shotgun blast approach that is likely to fail.
Thanks for the download 👍
City Prep - the Venn diagram overlap between long distance hikers (Pacific Crest, Appalachian, Continental Divide) and prepping is, IMO, very high. Going on a week long backpack trip is a practice "on foot" bugout. "Bugging In" during grid down means camping in the living room, which is easy vs in a tent. Most long distance hikers, the ones trying the hike an entire trail in one season (aka "thru hikers") use "normal" grocery items for their food, vs expensive and not available in small town freeze dried. Many of these foods have long shelf lives and could easily help a person get to the 3 day / 3 week / 3 month prep. Most also can be used in "day to day" cooking, so by merely increasing supplies on hand, a naturally rotating stock can be had. If bugging in, the option for canned or other heavy foods presents itself vs having to take light weight and compact into account as when hiking. Take for example, some of the common foods: Oatmeal and powdered milk, instant coffee and hot chocolate for breakfast. Lunch / Dinner: Rice / Pasta sides, foil pack tuna / chicken, canned chicken, instant rice, boxed macaroni and cheese, instant mashed potatoes, couscous, instant refried beans. Bouillon powder. These are all very common. Heavy stuff for a bug in, or vehicle based bug out (aka car camping) includes: Canned / jarred pasta sauce and pasta, canned veggies, tomatoes, etc. Knowing how to "scratch" make pancakes from flour and other basic ingredients (get an old time cookbook like Fannie Farmer). Keeping and rotating several pounds of butter or margarine in the fridge. Keeping and rotating several 3 pound blocks of cheese (think scratch made mac-n-cheese, grilled cheese, etc) - note that long distance hikers know cheese will keep not refrigerated for an extended time, if its kept reasonably cool. Salted butter keeps a good long while as well, if it doesn't melt. Keeping and rotating a supply of shortening and cooking oils. Having a Dutch Oven and a supply of charcoal, means baking bread from scratch and an ability to make things like lasagna when grid down. Flour and yeast (and make your own bread from time to time - French and Naan are easy). Canned chili / stew. Watching the Wolfe Pit channel for his "cooking on a budget" recipes like Hoover Stew.
Oh, one more key thing, IMO: Have a multi-vitamin per person, per day. That'll fill in any nutrition gaps. If all you eat is rice and beans, scurvy won't be far behind.
@@tokencivilian8507 great suggestion!
I’m so glad you do these videos in the daytime so I have time to process them. If your videos released at 10:00 at night, I would be up all night worrying. You always make me think, always make me evaluate and reevaluate every aspect of my life. I truly appreciate you and your team very much!
Great point Deborah! I’d be chewing on Kris’ content through the night too 😬
As I am advising folks about getting started, I recommend starting with 1-every day carry, 2-Go bag with enough supplies and equipment to allow them to walk home from school or work, least four days of supplies, including a gallon of water and a way to purify more, then 3- the 30 or 90 days goals. For example, my work is 50 miles from my home which has solid preparedness. If there is an event such as an EMP, power, grid, failure, or social disorder. it may take up to four days to get home.
There’s also the topic of nutrition…. Food allergies, etc.
Freeze dried meals, MRE’s, dehydrated meals, these are ESSENTIAL, as are nuts, seeds, beans, canned fruit/veg/meats/fish/poultry/meals, etc., and water of course.
And fresh food however it can be obtained…. Prob. some dark chocolate, D3, multivitamins, etc. too…
👍
I'm new to this channel and I started building an inflation-proof stockpile last October. Turned out it was a good decision. I still have a stash of non-perishable items that helped me get through this winter. Guess I got through the first test!
Thank you sir. Always appreciate your views and analysis.
My pleasure!
Thanks for the help!
Hi from Syracuse NY brother and you are right and the facts and truth
You're welcome!
I look forward to these videos
I just watched the movie “The Road” and see that no amount of preps are enough. After watching that horrific movie I just can’t imagine it’s ever enough. First things first make sure you have a lot of bullets.
I hope I die before the apocalypse.
Thank you for the information and encouragement.
Great video... thanks for the ideas.
Just down loaded your prepper’s info. Been prepping for sometime. Been following and many more folks that have helped me out with things as well. Sometimes budgeting get a little tight. Ya we buy a little at the store to add to our preps. Money gets a little tight. When trying to stay up with increasing prices. With everything going on the urgency seems to add pressure. A lot of folks will be unprepared. I have a lot of situations covered, but you never know
Great content from a great instructor. 3 months is the ideal time line for your preps, but yes, aim higher. Also, as you said, improve your skills and practice using your gear. Looking for to the road map...
A tip for everyone. Hide/Barry some food and supplies, in many different spots, just in case Your house burns down, your home gets robbed, and ect. In a time of war the military can take any thing that they want from you, your food will taste better than there's! This is how man kind has survived throughout history! History is are greatest teacher!