How
do you make a plan? One step at a time. Reading this is your first
step. The next ones will guide you through the process of putting
down on paper, or in the computer, those things you will need to do
to get to the state of preparedness you want.
Some assumptions
that I think are reasonable that should be taken into consideration
when you make your plans:
• The overwhelming majority of
preps will be needed for situations that occur at home.
•
Most disasters will not be Doomsday, The Apocalypse, TEOTWAWKI or
WROL situations.
• Most disasters will still have police and
National Guard units
enforcing law & order.
• People will still be
responsible for their actions legally and morally.
• There
will looters and violence in some major disasters, but the proportion
of life & death incidents will be much smaller than the number of
incidents requiring basic human needs.
• Most households
will have some basic items at home that can be used during a
disaster. Not everything has to be purchased for use only during one.
You can often incorporate into the preps items you already have.
(Basic first aid kits
including some OTC & any needed prescription meds. A flashlight
or two & some candles. A knife. Bedding)
The actual
plan:
1. Threat Analysis:
Sit down with your loved ones and
have a discussion about the current situation and what fears and
concerns everyone has. No one can prepare for everything, especially
in the beginning. Make note of what the things brought up in the
conversation. Don’t need to scare anyone, and it could be difficult
to get them to admit to any fears, especially the younger ones. But
it is important to include them, because not everything you will want
to prepare for is life and death.
Forget about Doomsday
Preps, Armageddon, or TEOTWAWKI for now. Keep it real. Do the best
you can to decide what reasons you would bug-out as opposed to
bugging-in. Bugging-in is the much preferred action, but there are
very good reasons to bug-out. Consider what would drive you from your
home, based on your location and situation.
2.
Prioritize:
Once you know the things you want to prepare for, put
them in a general groups of what you want to start with, what can
wait a while, and what should be put on the back burner for the
moment. Trying to do everything at once is likely to overwhelm and
discourage everyone. You don’t want that. A steady progress to each
goal you set will get the job done. And I will suggest a couple of
goals right off the bat. One is learning and getting all the training
you can. Classroom, internet, and book as well as hands on. The other
is part of the first. Begin acquiring a good library of prepping
books and magazines to read and learn from as part of your
educational program, as well as storing them for future use.
3.
Goals:
And keep things goal oriented. Set the goals, realistic
ones. Goals that can be achieved. Leave the pie in the sky super
deluxe bunkers and Mad Max vehicles to the fiction writers. You want
something that you can achieve, on a timely basis. Set the level of
preparedness you want for the first group of priorities. Once you
know where you are going, you can start getting ready to get there.
Set some general achievement goals on a timeline to get started. And
remember that goals should be realistic to start with, but can be
adjusted as things change, you learn more, or things happen that call
for a change in the plan.
4. Budget:
This is an extremely
important part of the process. A budget is a good idea for all
financial matters, but is even more so when trying to get ready for
things that might just happen before you are ready for them. You will
need to spend some money. But you can’t let other things go,
either. Still have to pay the mortgage or rent, the auto loan, and on
and on. Get them in the budget. Everything you must pay on a weekly,
monthly, quarterly, or yearly basis.
Don’t forget taxes,
and the unexpected. And don’t give up everything you like to do.
You still need to live a life, especially with a family. Once you
have a household budget, you can determine how much you can spend on
preps for given timelines. Then you start doing a separate budget,
using those numbers, to get the things done you need to do.
Before
you put many numbers in, you are going to have to decide on the items
you want first, but get the budget set up, and keep it flexible. It
will change over time. Once you have a reasonable budget lined out,
add the timeframe and amount for the long lead items that you plan to
purchase and start saving a budgeted amount per month for that
item/those items.
5. Start Prepping
Once the basic plan is
in place and the budgets set up, start prepping.
Prepping
101
The best place to start is usually getting the basic human
needs taken care of first, no matter what scenario you are preparing
for. First you need to figure out what those are, but that is pretty
easy. I have a list. The rest can come when you have learned more and
not only have, but have practiced with, the initial items. Begin to
study and learn all you can now, and as you go along. Preps without
knowledge aren’t nearly as effective as they are when you know the
why-to and when-to in addition to the how-to. Do not feel like you
must do everything in the order listed. You will need to do many of
the things, especially these first ones, concurrently. Some things
can wait, depending on your specific situation, but the basic human
needs should all be met as quickly and completely as possible.
1.
Air:
Fortunately, it is still free and available, for the most
part, for most scenarios. If there is a problem with air supply,
special equipment and supplies are necessary. Not a beginner’s
subject.
2. Water:
Has to be contaminate free, naturally
or with other means. And a lot of it. Store a lot, locate a reliable
future source, get water treatment/purification. A few 15-gallon
water drums, a couple of stainless
steel water bottles with cups for the BOBs, a quality water
purifier, either a high cap camping filter or a combination of a drip
filter for the BIB and a smaller hikers filter for the BOBs. Scout
out locations for long term supplies of water.
3. Food:
You
can go for a while without it, but not long or you become useless. No
cook, add hot water only, & easy-cook shelf stable foods, heavy
on meats, fruits, and comfort foods. For both BOB and BIB. Buy in
bulk or in case lots when possible. At the least, buy extra of the
things you want and use on a daily basis when they are on sale. To
build up longer term supplies, double buy each grocery day. Soon you
will have a good pantry.
Learn to garden and grow as much as
you can as soon as you can. Ditto home canning when you get the
garden going. Don't be afraid of the commercially produced crops like
wheat and oats. You can grow non-hybrid/organic types in a home
garden.
4. Sanitation:
You gotta go when you gotto go. You
need the safe means to do so. Chemical toilet, TP, hand washing
means, bug spray, antiseptic cleaners, shovel to bury wastes.
Toiletries. Charmin camper’s toilet paper and cleansing wipes for
the BOBs. Infectious diseases protection supplies, face mask, gloves,
goggles and hand sanitizer. And the ladies, and especially soon to be
ladies, need large supplies of their needs on hand.
5.
Environmental protection:
You need appropriate clothing as well as
housing. Sometimes it is more important than food or sanitation in
extreme circumstances. This includes being able to make and control
fires. The right clothes for the season. Basic camping gear in case
the house becomes unlivable.
You are probably already doing
the right clothes for the given season, though here in Reno I see
people going from heated homes to heated cars, to heated business and
back again wearing a T-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops in 20 degree
weather with snow on the ground and coming down hard (I am not
joking). Have what you need to keep you comfortable in the weather.
And the camp gear is for when the house cannot be lived in
and you need to camp out in the back yard or evacuate. Or even stay
in the house when nothing is working. Fallout/blast shelters, like
air purification, are another specific topic that deserves separate
consideration. Put it in the budget, and start saving, but don’t
short the other equipment and supplies unless war is imminent.
6.
Security:
Beside protection from the elements, there can be a
need for protection from dangerous animals, including other humans.
Light is your friend. If you cannot see the threat, you cannot
protect yourself from it. Lights and vision devices are an important
part of a security plan, as well as all around useful. Once you know
you can see it, you can get the actual means to protect yourself from
those things in your threat analysis you decided were the biggest
dangers. From wild domesticated animals, wild animals, and
self-defense in those cases where it might be needed. Training,
weapons, defensive measures. For some this is a much higher priority.
Evaluate your needs and make the decision.
They tend to be
expensive, so set up a long range budget and start saving money for
them now, even if you can’t get it yet due to the overall expense.
But as soon as you can, get something that is at least reasonably
effective, even if you prefer something else in the future. Don’t
put it off protection items to get the penultimate weapons system.
Train, train, and train some more with them. And don’t forget
operational security. Be
very careful who you let know you have preps. There can be
repercussions if other people do know.
7.
Fire/Lighting/Sharps:
These are important for safety and utility.
You will want several means to start a fire, and a couple of items to
contain fire. Fire steel, Lifeboat matches, lighters with some tinder
for the BOBs. To heat one room in the house, an indoor safe propane
or kerosene heater with a supply of fuel stored outdoors.
You
will need lighting for indoors & outdoors. A couple of crank
flashlights for both BIB and BOB, candles, propane lanterns, battery
lanterns. Tactical lights for defense. Get some lighting specifically
for preps, even though you probably already have a couple of
flashlights with weak batteries and non-working bulbs.
You
will need sharps to cut with. Knives/SAK/Multi-tool, axe, saw, etc.
I’m fairly sure you have a knife or two in the house. Probably
suitable for most uses, except lacking a sheath. But there are some
blades that are better for field use and Swiss Army Knives (SAKs),
and multi-tools can be handy, and if you need to build shelter or an
outdoor fire, axes and saws will save you much labor.
8.
Heat/cooling/Cooking:
There quite probably will be a need to
maintain acceptable temperatures in home and in the field such as
indoor safe propane and kerosene heaters. Gas grill w/tanks, various
camping stoves for home or field to cook food when possible (but not
in the house). No-cook, and add-hot-water-only foods are desirable in
the early stages of a situation. But a hot drink and hot meal can
raise the spirits and supply needed warmth in many situations. Not
critical at first in some climate, but nice later on.
Others
will need to up this on the priority list if in a cold climate and
suitable clothes for the weather won’t be available. This could
include a generator in addition to non-electrical means so a
refrigerator, freezer, AC, stove, medical equipment, fans, etc. can
be operated.
9. Medical:
Maintaining everyone’s good
health should be a priority all the time. But in some of the
scenarios you probably came up with include medical emergencies.
Knowledge and the right tools are literally life and death in some
instances. Extensive first-aid kits, heavy on the trauma treatment
for at the scene and in both BIBs & BOBs and the rest of the
alphabet.
These are supplemental kits to your regular home
first aid kit. It’s is fine for minor cuts, abrasions, stings, and
bruises. In a disaster the injuries are likely to be not only worse,
but in great numbers. Stock up with quality in mind and with as much
quantity as is possible. Another item to budget early on to get a bit
later. And get some training.
Make sure to rotate items that have
expiration dates. You can use some of the outdated items in training
exercises. Dispose of over the counter medication and any sharps
safely.
A note on prescription medications. Unlike OTC meds,
prescriptions medications are limited to how much that can be
obtained and stored. Some things, like narcotics, are limited to a
single 30-day prescription. Other prescriptions can often be written
for a 90 day supply. Work with your doctor to get as large of a
supply of your prescription medication as you can get and can
afford.
10. Morale/Welfare/Recreation:
If you need to be
using preps, that means there is a lot of stress involved. The means
to help relieve that stress can be very important. Games, some small
toys and some paper and pencils, religious books, movies, books.
Something to keep the kids quiet and busy, adults entertained or
comforted, or just to break the monotony.
There are many more
things on the list, but the first ten are the most important, in most
circumstances. If your threat analysis includes certain scenarios,
things like HAZMAT preparations climb up into those first ten
Some
of the additional needs:
11. Information/communication:
We
live in a society. You need to know what is going on around you.
Radios can provide that service, though there are a few other ways. A
wind up radio with NOAA weather alert (this could easily be the first
item you should get if you’re in tornado alley or where coastal
hurricanes occur), AM/FM, Short wave & a set of FRS/GRMS or MURS
radios works for both BIB & BOB, Amateur Radios for LR comms,
Binoculars, maps, compass, GPS,
flares/mirror/smoke/whistle.
Forewarned is forearmed. If you
know it is coming the better you can deal with it. And if you are
lost or separated or trapped, having the means to signal will get you
back a lot faster.
12. Transportation:
You may or may not
be able to stay where you are, though it is usually the best in many
scenarios. But some call for evacuation, often suddenly. Not only
vehicular, but alternative means, with a way to carry the gear in
addition to the people. A vehicular BOV if possible, Motorcycles,
bicycles, animals, on foot.
Since, in my opinion, the
majority of disasters do not call for bugging out long distances, if
at all, transportation is down here on the list. If you live in a
tsunami zone, near an active or soon will probably be active volcano,
you might want to up the priority level. And if you have children or
pets or both, evacuation on foot is very difficult and calls for some
more sophisticated measures.
I consider LBE (Load Bearing
Equipment) part of transportation. This is equipment to carry your
gear and supplies when in the field. BOB/BIB/GHB/INCH bag/GOOD bag,
etc. Packs, travois, game cart, bicycle. I am a proponent of taking
more than what you can comfortably carry in a back pack. Especially
if you have children. Definitely consider having some type of cart to
carry heavier weights than you can on your backs, and give the little
ones a chance to get off their feet.
13.
Tools/Hardware/Cordage:
Besides fire/lighting/and sharps, you
will need tools to fix things with, and some hardware to make the
repairs to keep the above items in good repair, available, and
useable. To get you out if you’re trapped in, to get in to someone
that is trapped. Tools and parts to make and repair items. 100+ feet
of 550 cord for the BOBs, plenty of rope of several types for general
use.
Not everyone knows how to use many of the specialty
tools, or are physically unable to. These are primarily for at the
scene of a disaster, but some items can be carried in the evacuation
kits for minor things on the road. This also includes fishing
equipment/hunting equipment/traps/game prep equipment, wild edibles
books and gathering equipment, etc for gathering wild foods.
14.
Camping gear:
You may not be able to stay in your home, for a
variety of reasons. Having adequate camping gear for the family,
whether staying in the back yard or when bugging out, can keep you
out of a community shelter and simply make life easier. The gear
addresses most of the basic human needs, just in a relative portable
package. And much of the gear can be used indoors if need be if the
power and other services are out. And if you do need to bug out, in
bad weather, the gear can be lifesaving.
15. Important
Documents:
Having documentation after a major event can be
critical for getting help, or avoiding problems. You will need to
have originals or copies of IDs for everyone, contact lists, copies
of insurance cards, etc. There are several lists of what you need to
have. This is another thing that, though probably doesn’t need to
be budgeted for (except to get replacement birth certificates and
passports) does need to be planned out and executed over time.
You
will be working with agencies of the government and big business with
some of them and it just takes time. Start early and finish when you
can will hopefully be good enough. It is serious enough for me to
remind parents about children’s immunization records. Those could
be a big deal.
16. Education & Reference Works:
You
are going to need to how to do a lot of different things during and
after a major event. Start accumulating as you see books and things
on sale. Read over them and then put into good storage. Practice
those things that are advantageous for ordinary times. Gardening,
home canning, auto repair, and wild food gathering and the list goes
on. This is long range planning. If you don’t already know how to
hunt and fish, and process wild foods, you might want to work it into
your schedule as you get more prepared.
17. Finances:
You
will need assets during and after an emergency situation. Cash, gold
coins, silver coins, a debit card. This is special disaster related
finances, not your everyday household budget, which should already
include an emergency fund for every day happenings such as car
repairs. The things listed can, in various circumstances, be of great
help. Or not. It is all situational. Some will take cash but not PMs,
and some will take PMs but not cash, some won’t take either. Try to
have something set aside if you have to evacuate.
And then
there is barter: After a major event, there may be times when cash or
precious metals just won’t do. People will be wanting things. This
is quite low priority, compared to most of the other things on this
second list, but you might want to stock some items to barter/trade
to get things you need. For those that don’t think precious metals
or cash will be any good, and to just have when having is better than
not having. Don’t tie up junior’s college fund for it, but look
at some of the many lists on the forums that address trade and
barter.
18. Spares:
Don’t forget spares. Spares for
everything that uses consumables plus spare parts for critical items.
Once you get ‘things’, it doesn’t end. Some will need routine
maintenance, some rotation, and some spare parts and extra
consumables such as batteries, bulbs, wicks/mantles, fuels.
19.
Special Situation Gear:
There are several situations that might
come up, depending on what actually happens in the particular
disaster, that the more or less normal preps don’t address. Things
like the need to climb or rappel, either in the field or within
high-rise buildings. Special medical supply and equipment needs for a
member of the family, including pregnancy and birthing gear. Specific
wild animal threats in an area. Specific climatic/weather threats in
an area.
Some of these special situations require specific
plans and gear that should be analyzed and budgeted for, then
acquired, especially HAZMAT/CBRNE (Hazardous Materials/Chemical,
Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive) CBRNE gear.
Chemical can include transportation accidents, fires, and chemical
weapons. Biological can include the common cold up to epidemics,
pandemics, to biological weapons. Radiological can include radiation
leaks at nuclear power plants, and “Dirty Bombs”. Nuclear
includes all the “Atomic War”, “Nuclear War”, and “Global
Thermonuclear War” scenarios that include direct radiation, blast,
thermal radiation, fallout, and several more. Explosives are pretty
much conventional bombs and pyrotechnical devices, including Molotov
cocktails and IEDs.
HAZMAT/CBRNE gear is extremely important
if needed, but expensive and requires training. Radiation sensors,
Respirator, protective suit, other PPE. Bucket, brush, bleach to
decontaminate. The cleansing items you probably already have. The PPE
items are very important if needed. As stated above, if you live in
an area where you have to think about nuke plants melting down, up
the priority and get them in the budget for acquisition as soon as
possible.
20. Humanitarian Aid:
This is a tough subject
and tied closely with operational security. Should you spend your
hard earned dollars on supplies for other people not in your
immediate family? Or even your immediate family if they have made the
decision to not prep? If you do decide to have things for other
people to use, there are risks.
One is that once people know
you have supplies, they will want more than you are willing to give.
Another is that the authorities could confiscate them. If you do
decide to set aside some supplies for others, you must decide how you
will get them to the people that need them. One way is to just give
the supplies to the people face to face. Might not be a good idea
unless they are very close friends and you know they will not be
giving out the location of where they got the supplies.
Another
is to clandestinely leave the items and hope the right people get
them. Another method is to anonymously present them to your local
church, soup kitchen, the Salvation Army or other humanitarian agency
for distribution.
Yet another consideration, especially if
you are giving out the things directly, is do you do the very basics,
such as rice and beans, while you are eating canned meats, fruits,
and comfort foods? How will people react if they know you are eating
better (or have a better situation in many ways) than what you are
providing for them? A very difficult situation. You will have to make
your own decisions
21. Special Needs:
Don’t forget those
with special needs. That includes pets, livestock, babies, the
elderly, and the disadvantaged. They have the same basic needs that
everyone else does which must be met in ways appropriate to their
situation. Special foods, medical needs, special clothing and
housing. Evaluate occasionally and then obtain, store, and rotate as
necessary items for those in your group that have these special
needs.
Once into the process of following the budget and the
plan is underway, continue to re-evaluate everything on a regular
basis. You might need to adjust the budget based on less income, or
even higher income, or situations might change that require a change
in plans. Prepping isn’t static. You aren’t ever ‘done’. It
is a continuing process, just as everything else in life is. Keep it
in the back of your mind at all times, and your chances of surviving
even some very desperate situations are much higher than the norm.
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