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Getting On The Bandwagon — 30 Steps For Mainstream Preppers, by Boreal C.
People who are interested in preparedness seem to love lists. So, I have compiled a list of 30 steps that may be useful for average families who don’t necessarily have a hideout in the mountains (yet). This list is by no means all-inclusive and it presumes a basic background in preparedness. In other words, I hope you have been reading this blog for a long time already! I am a proud military wife and mother of two grade school students. I have a master’s degree in chemistry. We are just an average family trying to get by in uncertain times. I am just optimistic enough to believe that there is hope for the future and just realistic enough to prepare otherwise.
Coming from Alaska, where power outages can mean the difference between life and death at forty below zero, prepping is as mainstream as owning a TV. Geomagnetic storms knock out power regularly and a good aurora borealis may mean you better get out the generator. It is good to see the preparedness trend catching on in the Lower 48 states. Alabama recently held their first tax-free weekend from July 6-8, 2012 to purchase hurricane preparedness equipment, with tax exemptions on generators, batteries, flashlights and more. There also appears to be a massive education campaign going on throughout U.S. schools. My kids are coming home with all sorts of flyers and papers encouraging them to get their parents involved in basic preparedness for hurricanes, tornados, ice storms and more. Propaganda mission? Who cares—If we want to make preparedness the norm, then asking kids to make sure their parents have flashlights is one place to start. There is certainly an emerging capitalist market for all things survival related. Embrace it and get the goods while you can. These are the steps that have been useful to me so far, but it is a never-ending job to be prepared. Good luck.
1. Water is always number one on any survival prep list, so I have to start here. Learn the location of the nearest source of fresh water to your home and how to walk to it with filtration equipment and water containers. Not everyone lives near an Alaskan glacial stream, but it doesn’t matter if you are in inner city Philadelphia next to the Schuykill River (I’ve tried both places), it pays to know your drinking water source in case the taps run dry. Try drinking it too–AFTER boiling it for ten minutes or filtering it with a Katadyn filter or adding iodine or bleach of course. Add some Gatorade powder if you have to. If it gives you giardiasis or cholera now, at least you will be able to see a doctor now while we still have a functioning society. Then, you will definitely know that you need to work on your water purification skills.
2. Learn to grow something. Tomatoes in an upside down hanging basket, potatoes in a bucket on your rooftop, sunflowers on your back patio, or anything you can.
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