I find myself going down the rabbit hole of things I can buy to improve my preparedness. But sometimes it just feels like empty consumerism in disguise. What’s the best thing you’ve done to prep that didn’t require buying a product?

What are some of the main things my husband and I should be getting together? Both of us are new to the idea of prepping WITH children. We have 3. 9YO, 2YO and 10MO. Two dogs as well.

New to this and have gotten a Honda eu2200i and Bluetti AC180. Don't expect it to be whole house backup but enough to get essentials covered for a few days and recharge cycles between generator and power station (no solar panels, as have too many bad weather days).

In some research, I occasionally (though rarely) hear warnings of these LFP battery power stations (or maybe it's just older model batteries) can be a fire hazard or explode, and also in that case potentially not covered by home insurance.

Don't know how true this is and how much to be concerned. But it has me debating, should I spend more to get a higher wattage, outdoor duel fuel generator (maybe in the 5,000-8,000kw range) or a higher wattage power station (maybe 2,500-4,000kw range). I like the power station for being able to use indoors, but the cost to power ratio is notably worse than a generator.

Also hoping for lower maintenance/worry (would do propane for the generators) and ability to keep running through the night for certain key appliances without concern/monitoring it. (Budget-minded right now, so it's one or the other, and planning to use the generator to charge the power stations if low from storage.)

Would appreciate hearing any recommendations for models as well if going either path. Thanks.

I know a family that was affected by Hurricane Helene and they are living in a building and it's absolutely freezing. They said that the building isn't wired well enough to run an electric heater (they are running everything on cheap extension cords which I'm sure isn't safe but it's their only option) so they've been relying on tiny propane tanks and a tiny kerosene heater but it's costing them a fortune for the tanks ($8 a tank, 3 tanks a night, $24 a night = $744 a month just for ONE small portable heater, plus kerosene for the other small heater), so their entire paycheck is mostly going towards heat and nothing else.

This family is poor and cannot afford anything and since they are putting all of their money into heat they can't even save to get out of this situation. I don't live locally to them so I can't help out but I have about $100 that I can spare, I want to order them something more efficient and something they can afford to keep up with.

There's also an open vent in the roof that they can't reach to close, I'm sure they're losing heat.

I'm also concerned about all of the gas/oil fumes from the heaters and the effect it could have on the infant as well as the all around safety of heating this way, whether it's oil/gas or electric, both are probably fire hazards.

Is there ANYTHING that you would suggest to help with their heating? As I said, they are poor, were affected by the hurricane (there's no help or resources in their rural area), and I'm not local to physically be there or give them anything but I have $100 to order them something more efficient.

What would y'all suggest? Please no rude comments as this family is struggling.

Thank you

Edited to add that I just found out that they actually don't have ANY electricity in the building at all, they are running one extension cord to the building and running everything off of that

Edited again - are the 20 lb tanks safe to use inside? I know nothing about them but I just watched a video that said that they aren't safe for inside?

Maybe we can do car kits again? Anyway, I’ll list everything below. Just so you know, this is strictly the kit for the car and surviving in there, or getting it moving again. Flat tires and some quick fix mechanicals seem to be the biggest issues when moving out in a hurry. I do have a get home bag with clothes, boots etc in the car. I’ll start with items that may not be typical and why.

Car kit:

Ammo crate – Used to store most of the items, hard plastic, weather proof and cheap.

Foam square – When working on car it keeps things clean and knees saved. Not every situation is the apocalypse, you may need to change a tire on the way to a wedding

Scrape plywood – Ever try to jack a car on the side of the road in loose soil? This goes under the jack and helps spread out the footprint to get it jacked up. Additionally, I spray painted the jack points white to see them easily.  

Lithium jump starter – also used to charge anything you need. Totally worth the money for the lithium.

Med kit – From trauma to Tylenol

Tin can – Yes, that’s right, a tomato can. I live in NJ. A couple years ago several people died in NY after being stuck on the highway in snow. I know we all say we would plan better, but nature turns quick. You need to stay warm in the car. Place the can on the scrape plywood, light the candles and you have heat. Yeah, its not a lot, but may make the difference.

Wool blankets - For the same reason

Emergency blankets – Two nicer quality ones, with orange side for high visibility.

Tool kit – Sockets, pliers anything for a quick fix.

Breaker bar – Leverage if you ever had to get a lug nut off in a hurry.

Mini crow bar – Many uses, fixing damaged panels after an accident to get you moving.

Work gloves

Rubber dish gloves – Yes, if you are trying to get your car out of snow ditch, having waterproof gloves that go up your arms is a big deal.

Magnetic parts bowl – If you have ever worked on a car, you don’t want to lose bolts or screws. Why not have this cheap HF one for when you are working on the car on the side of the road?

Lighting – Head lamp with the LED that goes across your head. Absolutely baller to light up a whole area, folds up nicely. Also have an LED 1.5 inch square that has a magnet so it can go under your hood and very bright.

Flares – Quick, but only last 15 min or so

LED roadside lights – These are round pucks that can strobe white or flash orange. This is great if you are stuck to alert people from a distance.

Air horn – Got it very cheap. I had a professor once that went off the road into a ditch and no one saw him. His cell phone slammed against the dash and broke. He was stuck in the car and had to lite his dry cleaning on fire to alert someone. Air horn is another way to help alert people.

Duct tape – Literally anything. Like taping a coolant hose.

Disinfecting wipes and baby wipes. – I have kids, so need these anyway. Obvious uses.

Tampons and pads – No, not for wound packing. But man was I the hero when my wife needed it at an office party. Being prepared isn’t just the apocalypse.

Urine bags – Better than a bottle, and females can use.

WD-40 – Remember it displaces water, good to try and fix a fuse box or any electronics that get wet.

Fix a flat – Having a flat tire is a most likely scenario, there are several ways besides just a spare to get patched and out of there.

Tire repair kit. – If you can do it in your driveway, you can almost anywhere, and they are cheap.

Air pump – Really useful, and can fill that tire. One time used to pump tires up on a trailer.

Tire gauge

Little white thing is a funnel – I have another real funnel in the car wrapped in plastic (no dust in that engine!).

Hand warmers

Radio – In case the car is dead and you are stuck on the side of the road, you can use this to get alerts.

Splint and cold compress – Really just duplicative, but the splint is the larger size.

12v accessory flashlight – Got at HF – goes into the 12v port in the trunk. Always good to have backups.

Penlight, pen, folding knife – keep up front on visor – nice to have them quick access. Knife has window punch.

Yellow window punch – Spring loaded so you don’t have to swing it. I put a ziptie on it to make more accessible.

Compass – Know how to use it

Compressed towels – Especially if stuck in a car.

Plastic utensils – So you can eat.

Snow shoe straps – Cheap ones, but any extra grip in the snow helps.

Back up water

Mini tool screwdriver set

N95 masks – Covid-25? Nah, more for fires etc.

Water

Food

Foldable shovel

Rope & bungees

Quart of oil and old belt.

Fire extinguisher – You laugh, but when there is a fire, you will be happy.

Powerbank – plugged into center console 12v. Can keep that phone charged 4-5 times.

Well, that’s about it. I hope you all enjoyed it. Please let me know your thoughts!

This is a shameless repost, but the original was two years ago, linked to an inferior video, and most people here missed it last time around.

You want to see this. Renown hacker, security professional (both IT and physical), and educator, Deviant Ollam gives a talk about prepping like you have never heard before.

Question: When is the best time to acquire a lawyer, a passport, a locksmith, or a gun?

Answer: Before you need that lawyer, that passport, that locksmith, or that gun.

This is a presentation about risk, preparedness, and how to do make your best attempt to build defenses against some of the worst threats and potential problems that might ever arise in your life. Keeping your loved ones as well as your community safe is something to always keep in mind and this presentation walks through some of the most critical steps that it is possible to take... before your world explodes in a disaster.

An hour and 22 minutes, and extremely worth your time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ihrGNGesfI

If WW3 came and supply lines broke down what everyday luxury or guilty pleasure would you miss the most and what would be your alternative?

As a South Australian I would miss iced coffee and would be forced to make a sickening alternative in my basement out of instant coffee, sugar, powdered milk and water.

You tried to be their friend or help in the past but they now just want to use you again for your resources, Delete and block has never been so satisfying.

trash run tonight also seems to have landed us a propane cooker. I added propane heater and tanks to my list this morning so once again the universe is delivering what I manifest PROMPTLY. We just need to find a tank and propane and we'll be good to go if we lose power or go camping lol

I’m a very rudimentary prepper. Solid supply of food, water, fuel, med aid supplies etc. I don’t have any potassium iodide tablets though. I personally think the risk of a nuclear event in western Canada is low, but the rhetoric in Eastern Europe is getting a bit hotter.

If some nuclear weapons were used in Ukraine, how far would the fallout be expected to travel? How much would reach North America.

I don’t trust the Canadian government to adequately tell us when to take, or to distribute potassium iodide tablets.

We are almost half way around the planet. Would it take 3,4,7,14 days for some of that dust to make it to Alberta?

• Alone in forest and encountering large predators.
• Missing people reports along highways and national parks. Human Trafficking, Serial Killers, etc,
• Seeing something you shouldn't see, and how to evade and survive it. (Eg. Hiking in national park but seeing cartel activity. How to leave and not die.)
• Seeing a murder taking place, but you're alone.
• Being framed by AI in the near future for a crime you did not commit. As technology advances videos created by AI are so good, they are forensically indistinguishable from a "real" video. (more of a psychological horror)

We never have this much luck finding food just from neighborhood trash picking, but I've been anxious about preparing for tariffs and inflation and war and I've started manifesting stuff we need (we're poor we can't just buy everything) and making a list etc. last night: 20 cup noddles and some other pantry items.

Tonight: a fresh direct bag full of canned goods. All pantry items I added to my list of desirables TODAY in some capacity. Chef boy ardee (prepared meals), canned fruit, canned tuna, pasta.

I'm an atheist but this happening two nights in a row when I've been this anxious feels like the universe saying: I gotchu. Silly i guess but also, love being a little more prepared 🤷🏼

I've always justified my prepping to my wife as being prepared for any emergency. Not just ww3 or civil unrest. Those things are always one of my reasons of course, but natural disasters are always a great reason.
We moved out of our house a year ago and bought a 40 foot 5th wheel to live in, so quite a few of my preps are in storage, but I still keep us adequately stocked up. Tuesday we had a massive storm and the power went down at around 6pm right after I got home from work. Well here we are Thursday night, still no power. We aren't expected to have power back until Saturday afternoon.
So we're surviving off of some of my preps. 4 massive batteries I installed, a power inverter, solar panels, and a generator. I'm keeping the water hot, the refrigerator is running, TV is working, etc etc. So now she's starting to understand where I'm coming from.
If you're thinking about getting prepared, stop thinking and start doing. It's not all guns and ammo. There's much more to it. The situation could always get worse, I'm only using some of the things I've collected, but it's good to know that my plans are working out for the most part.

I’d like to use my RV as backup housing and keep my tank close to full year round but I worry about it rupturing during a freeze. How likely is this? I’d hate loose the chance at saving 50 gallons, but replacing the tank is a large undertaking. Ease my fears please.

.They're $1.25 at Dollar tree. I've tested battery life span and they last over a week using 3 AA alkaline batteries.

https://www.dollartree.com/led-lantern-with-handle/387844

Edit, They're $1.25 each in brick and mortar store.

They're a lot safer than using candles or other open flame for light.

Hey Guys so I plan on buying multiple more of these boxes, they each contain 3 gallons of water in plastic jugs. How long would that water be safe to drink? It’s going to be stored in my cellar which is climate controlled around 65 degrees, Very dark and I run a dehumidifier year round. Thank you

You stumble on a small windfall to invest but you can only select one from the list below… Which do you choose? Why?

1. Heirloom seeds and manual farming tools.

2. Fractional silver.

3. Firearm and ammo.

4. Crossbow and arrows.

5. E-bike or mountain bike.

I've always had the notion to have a contingency binder for my wife in the case of my death. You know, important stuff like life insurance policies, bank account info, passwords, location of my will, stuff like that. Something I could just tell her "if anything happens just look in the red binder in the safe" and know that my wife and kids weren't going to starve or something because they couldn't use my bank account.

But as I'm currently traveling for work and 800 miles away from my house and all my preps, I realized if SHTF today I'm not going to be home for a long time if ever. My wife is an amazing and talented woman, but I know her strengths and weaknesses, and figuring out mechanical stuff is not one of them nor is it a topic she has any interest in spending time to learn. So I suddenly realized that without me there to flip the transfer switch, hook up, and start the generator, my family can't have power. Sure my wife can light a grill, but I don't think she can swap a propane tank or know where the fuel valve is. So without me there my family doesn't have any way to cook the massive amount of rice and beans I have in dry storage. I also know that my wife wouldn't be interested in learning any of these things if I tried to show her, so don't say "you just need to train with your family" because that's not an option.

I'm considering expanding my contingency folders to cover various "the lights just cut off" events to include some quick little"here's what to do and how to do it " instructions with pictures. But that got me thinking, there's different things you need to do depending on what caused the lights to go out, so it almost needs to include a flow chart or something.

Did the lights go out?-> is it storming?> Did your cellphone also turn off> will the car start> did you see a bright flash> open folder #5

And the more I think about it the more complicated the whole thing becomes. But I'm curious if something like this already exists in some capacity and I just need to get it and print it out.

How do you guys make sure you're prepared to not be there?

Edit: after a few replies I should clarify, I'm specifically talking about if SHTF when I'm not at home. Also I'm not assuming my wife is stupid. I'm stating that I know for a fact that she won't learn this stuff ahead of time but I want to make sure all my shit actually keeps my family alive.

i live in the south of the uk in a pretty unimportant useless town. i’ve used the nuclear secrecy map to check if id be affected by a nuclear blast to a nearby city, but i’m not close enough to any to be in the blast radius. does the fallout affect areas a few miles out of any radius, or should i relax at home and go on as usual as possible? thanks

First post here, any advice on making Pemican. I got some really good already rendered down wagyu beef tallow. I was wondering if anyone could help me out on how to dehydrate my meet for it. It’ll be a first for me as well. Thanks ahead of time

Look, in an ideal world everyone has enough money for their needs. We dont have an ideal world.

I have a 401k, I have over investments, I have resources.

I also have cash, and I am trying to put money into bitcoin for a wallet that will be funded and forgotten about.

I am not a rich man, but I also dont know how much I should have in cash and BTC for a rainy day fund.

The use case is "I cant go to the ATM and I need cash for a local service" and "my accounts are frozen"

I was thinking $5000 in each, and this would be easier with BTC as it can be seen as some kind of investment. I am also using this $5000 figure as the max I can lose if I never really considered it mine.

I just dont have a good risk metric on this thing. Cash can be earned easier, and the BTC wallet will be harder to fund in a way I am comfortable.

TLDR: Iridium 9555 vs 9575? Is there a regular 9575 that's different than the 9575 exteme, or are all 9575s automatically the 'extreme' edition? Is the mobile antenna a must for talking while driving? Best place to buy Iridium? Are some websites waaay cheaper than others? It seems like a weird industry where only third parties sell the stuff. Is Blue Cosmo the best?? Opinion on buying used Iridium phones? Regardless of whether I'm going to buy used (it sounds risky) I see many of the used 9575 extremes listed online come with a huge yellow waterproof pelican case. Was this a separate purchase or is the case included? Regardless, I will have to buy a small waterproof case for hiking and stuff where I need to be light and mobile. Any recommendations for best case? It looks like there may be a wide variety of aftermarket support for things like that. ○also, are there hidden cheaper subscriptions somewhere? Introductory offers? Promo codes? Does iridium ever secretly negotiate lower prices? I'm guessing that all is a pipe dream but never hurts to ask

Thank you so much!

Hello everyone! After extensive research I have determined that the only real satphone that is a good option for the 49 states + Canada is the Iridium network.

I think the texting devices like inreach and zoleo are really cool but IMHO I speculate there is really no replacement for the incredible utility that is being able to have a phone call anywhere in the world. I realize inreach and zoleo have a SjOS button, but you can't exactly text 911 and tell them where you are and give them directions of what needs to be done. Text-only communicators are an added layer of PITA, I'm speculating. Also, good to know zoleo and inreach use iridium satellites. I'll keep that information in my back pocket. I'm sure apple wanted to use iridium tech but the quote was probably too high so thats why they went with crappy globalstar for their backup satelite network.

I am considering buying a used Iridium phone but I'm not sure how smart that is with something that litterally can save your life. The good news is replacement batteries look relatively affordable so that helps justify such a charade. I will look into it. There aren't really any on fb or Craigslist nearby so I would be buying one used sight unseen probably, which would make me incredibly nervous. Even if you did go find a used one to drive and go see in person, more than likely the person selling it doesn't have a current valid subscription to the service so you probably couldn't even really 100% verify it works. New is probably the only way to go. The good news about going new is im under the impression the Iridium phone itself is really well made and they continue to support their products forever so I could buy the Iridium phone and regardless of if I have the subscription turned off for a couple years, or instead rotate between periods of deactivated service and reactivated, it sounds like regardless of any of that they will always be there for me whenever I want to reactivate the service, and they will continue to support the technology. (Of course if the local internet and/or mail service is out, good luck reactivating service). I say all that because so many things nowadays, they deactivate or stop support of the technology and make you throw it out and buy something new, and at this price point that would be a real fear for me. But I'm at least under the positive impression that if I buy a 9555 or 9575 /exteme or whatever phone, realistically I could still be using it happily in 15+ years no problem. I mean you would hope their customer base would be in uproar if Iridium made them all buy a new phone? I know some of you guys probably care but 2200$ is a lot of money

My one other question is, I'm not sure if just one or both, but some of the 9555/9575 listing's i see for sale used, the phone comes with a pelican case that is HUGE and presumably watertight. If I buy a 9555 and/or 9575 brand new, does it come with this Pelican case intrinsically, or is it a waterproof container that is sold separately? If I had a 30+ foot sport fishing boat I'm sure the pelican case would be awesome, but while it's hard to tell from photos, it almost looks like such a large monstrosity that as a hiker, if a smaller case is available I might prefer to buy that one. If I could get a small waterproof case I could save some money and buy the not-waterproof 9555 (instead of the semi waterproof 9575 which is $$$$++). Then again you might want the big pelican case so you can carry extra batteries and stuff. So i guess I want both cases lol Update: I see there may be a variety of aftermarket waterproof cases both small and large. Recommendations??

Also, Have you ever used the mobile antenna ? I've heard that's a must if you want to talk while driving. It appears to only be 100$ so that will probably be a must-have for me assuming it's true. I hope that covers the totality of extras a normal fella needs.

Is Blue Cosmo always the place to buy, or if I really hunt and look everywhere are there large discrepancies in prices? I saw you said 9575 extreme is the best one and I'm sure you have good reasons for saying that so I'll start researching heavily now

Any other advice or tips are much appreciated! I'm a giddy nerd, can't wait to have a sat phone just like Sam Neil in Jurassic Park

I want my partner and I to be as ready as possible going into 2025 - only problem is that we’re in a small second-floor apartment. No porch, no yard, no lawn, no ability to have an independent generator or water source, etc. We don’t have a lot of storage area, nor any underground shelters. Most prepper tips I can find just don’t apply to us because of the fact we don’t own a home or have a lot of room. It’s a little disheartening.

So what are your tips for preparing for collapse while the building you live in is reliant on others?

I have a 6 month supply of food in my house.

My back up generator has a smaller back up generator.

I put all my expired canned food in a seperate tote because when the (insert emergancy here) comes I can trade it for ammo.

I have shootin' ammo and trading ammo.

I keep nails and screws in the garage that are earmarked for boarding up the doors and windows on case of an apocolypse.

I printed out both walking and driving maps to get to important places.

I keep vcr and vcr tapes in storage just in case.

I have more than one "wall gun"

I dont have a dog but I have 50 cans of dog food.

My family has already voted on which neighbor to eat if it gets really bad.

I built a $10,000 shed to secure $300 worth of propane.

I keep 1000 sacajawea dollars in the gun safe because that might be the only currency accepted l one day.

I can list at least 10 things that might be the new quarter one day.

I keep my old car batteries

I live in the city center of mid-sized city in a condo building with a couple of balconies. I have been testing what can be grown in my space with limited sun. At the height of summer I get a few hours of direct sunlight in limited amounts. Otherwise, I’m in the shadows. Lots of indirect light, but very little direct. I face Northward.

I learned quickly that anything with “fruit” takes a lot of sunlight, and have had better luck with leafy greens (bok choy, spinach, miners lettuce). My pole beans did ok this year— they were able to climb to the sunlight— but got taken out by infestation and never fruited. I don’t think it’s feasible to grow enough to sustain me and my spouse, but supplementing my dry goods with nutritious greens seems possible. So, have you had any luck with limited sunlight for container gardens? I’m in Charlotte NC, zone 7 I believe, if that helps. We have very humid summers and very rainy winters.

I'm due to give birth in 2 weeks and, it is partially the hormones as well as the state of the world right now, but let's say I can't breastfeed and we run out of formula (completely), all before baby is 6mo (when you can stop either) what, in theory, could we use? We have 1 month of formula in our prep but not more because I'm planning on breastfeeding.

Now, don't give me your typical "you're so irresponsible to get pregnant in today's world" or your bABy GonNa dIE kinda crap please...

Small lessons learned. Washington state, no power due to a cyclone (aka hurricane), cold nights.

The electric rv heater has been a blessing. Low energy load, keeps two story house at 63-65 degrees (1,500 Sq feet). Put it into our window. Generator is not running the furnace or water heater, our good one is at our cabin. Having a backup rv/boat furnace saved us. Runs on a car battery.

Full body disposable wash cloths are good.

Mountain house food and outdoor gas stove has been a blessing. Fast and easy. Tastes good. Limits opening fridge.

Generator is a must have, however, nights are still cold because we still have noise rules from 10pm to 6am. City life. Hand warmers, sleeping bags, and boat/rv furnace have been a blessing.

Having 90 day of meds has been good, realized we are out and pharmacy is closed with no power. Back up supply of key meds are handy.

Things I would do differently - more battery chargers and just more battery lights. It is dark. Easier food, I wish I had some more crackers and shelf stable cheeses. Plus more instant coffee!

About me - middle aged woman, light prep, with teens in the house. No an expert in this, go easy on me, but I do like this group.

I'm trying to get some long term staples going. However, I don't want to spend $40+ a bucket on the already prepared storage foods. So I'm thinking that if I buy rolled oats, beans, rice, and wheat in bulk and then put them into buckets with oxygen absorbers, they'll be safe for 10-30 years. Is that right?

Would these buckets be a good choice: https://a.co/d/bv5Difm

And what kind of oxygen absorbers would I need for this size?

Thank you so much for your help! I've learned so much from this group and am so grateful for the shared knowledge and learning resources! Y'all have helped me feel so much better in getting prepared.

Amazon has the Jackery Explorer 1000v2 power station for $399 black friday. Is this a good power station for when SHTF?

My family grows, cans, freezes, and otherwise preserves hundreds of pounds of food a year. Here are some items that are overlooked by preppers that don't currently preserve large quantities of food themselves:

• several vegetable peelers, if you have lots of helpers but no peelers you'll have a bad time, hard items to peel like squashes can also break a peeler so backups are nice
• Extra cutting boards, see above
• Big (30qt) stainless steel bowls for holding produce during processing, you need somewhere clean to hold food before packing it into jars
• wooden chops sticks or toothpicks for checking food consistency without dirtying up another spoon
• multiple large stock pots for cooking down sauces, jams, brines, and syrups
• a large capacity kettle for boiling water
• kosher canning salt
• pink curing salt
• sugar, one batch of jam can easily use a 10 lb bag, we keep 50lbs on hand at all times
• freezer paper, in my experience this is on par with vacuum sealing for meats, properly wrapped meat will not get freezer burnt
• freezer tape, if you've ever tried normal tape on freezer paper you'll know what I'm talking about
• stainless steel canning funnels, all sizes, these are endlessly useful and the steel makes them easy to clean
• stainless steel food mill with a hand crank for tomato sauce and jams
• a heavy duty nutcracker, those high calorie nuts that y'all are planning to forage have very hard shells, you'll beg for one of these if you ever have to process a large amount of nuts, get some nut picks as well
• good old wicker baskets, for harvesting, washing produce, carrying compost, etc...another tool that is endlessly useful and easy to buy secondhand
• cheesecloth, a yard of muslin, and lots of flour sack hand towels, these are good for straining, pressing or hanging cheese, covering fermentation jars, keeping jars warm, cleaning, etc...we can dirty up a lot of hand towels in one canning session so make sure you have plenty of these to rotate through

I'm sure there's more to add and I'm open to questions. Hope this helps in your preps!