This is a guest post by J.D. Phillips of SurvivalCrackas.com
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I want you imagine a few things before we get going:
- Imagine if you had to learn everything about math, physics or any other subject for that matter – all on your own.
- Imagine if you had to do it by reading articles, watching TV shows and YouTube videos.
It's safe that assume that you'd feel overwhelmed, right?
These subjects are so exhaustive and extensive that you wouldn't have the faintest idea of where to start. You might click on a video about astrophysics but it would sound like Chinese to you as you're not even acquainted with basic concepts such as the law of gravity. You would feel baffled and might even feel a little....dumb!
Well, that is exactly how new preppers might feel when confronted with the idea of
preparing for survival. Unfortunately, schools and colleges teach us absolutely nothing about survival. Moreover, mainstream society is totally blind to the problems of the future. They are most concerned about the newest in celebrity relationships. They think that people who plan and prepare for survival are silly!
Thankfully, there are a few resources (like this website) that educate people about survival and prepping without constantly trying to shove products down their throats.
Here are the 7 most important things that every prepper should know.
1) Understand that Rome was not built in a day!
Don't try to do it all at once. No matter how hard you try – you cannot prepare for survival over the coming weekend. Prepping is not an event; it is a process – a lifestyle.
Of course, you should try to learn as much you can, as quickly as you can. But try to build a strong foundation first. Work on your fitness, learn about survival knots, learn how to build shelters and fires, create a bug out bag, start accumulating food and water.
Once you do this, then you can move to advanced concepts such as shooting techniques, chemical warfare survival, nuclear war survival, stealth, code language, tactical operations, and so on.
2) Don’t forget to practice what you learn:
For many people, learning about survival simply means watching hours of videos or TV shows. However, they never actually practice the techniques that they learn about. If things do get crazy, then you cannot rely solely on theory to help you out.
For example: It's fine and dandy to say that if you're stranded in the wilderness, you'd just build a fire to signal for rescue.
But have you actually tried to
start a fire in uncontrollable conditions?
Do you know the basic ground to air communication signals?
What if people do see your fire but they assume that you're just having fun camping out in the woods?
3) Start saving money:
Survival does not come cheap! So you better start saving for it right now. You can easily avoid excessive expenses such as cigarettes, alcohol, etc.
Do you really need a thousand dollar cell phone, or are you buying it just to impress your friends?
If the idea of cutting down on expenses seems restricting, start your own home-based business or work an extra shift each week. Maybe try
growing your own food!
Look for great deals on
survival goods (
first aid kids, candles etc.) at garage sales and thrift shops. Buy a firearm or a GPS instead of spending money on designer clothes and electronics. Spend conservatively but don't skimp on essentials such as proper footwear, clothing,
water filtration systems, etc.
4) Try to predict the type the catastrophe that is most likely to affect you and plan accordingly.
For example, if you live in Texas, you are bound to experience at least one major natural disaster every year.
- The most common mishaps in Texas are coastal hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and wildfires.
- Florida is highly prone to flooding and hurricanes.
- California is almost an earthquake waiting to happen.
- New York is a major target for terrorists.
- Detroit and St Louis have the highest crime rates in the country.
If you're wondering where to begin, this is your answer.
Begin by preparing for
the most probable disaster in your region.
5) Mingle with other preppers:
Prepping is much more fun if you make friends with other people who share the same views and interests as you. If you prep alone, you'll probably become bored in a matter of days.
Join a local group or start your own. Many groups organize educational and recreational events such as boot camps, seminars, conventions etc. These ensure that you stay interested and informed. Also, it is great to have a community or other prepared individuals to fall back upon in a survival scenario.
6) Slow and steady wins the race:
New preppers are very enthusiastic in the beginning. They buy stuff, talk to everybody they meet about the importance of prepping, they watch loads of
Bear Grylls shows, etc.
However, after a while – they run out of steam and lose interest.
Like in any other field of life, you cannot accomplish much in terms of survival if you lack consistency. Develop habits that make you a better prepper.
Buy an extra can of food every time you go out shopping. Don't just throw away empty bottles, fill them up with water and store them in your basement.
Spend your weekends
practicing survival techniques with friends – go camping instead of sitting in front of the TV or going to the mall and buying things that you really don't need.
7) Don't live in fear.
You're probably thinking about getting into prepping because you realize that we live in a dangerous world. However, there's really no point in being paranoid all the time.
Do what you can and stop worrying about that what you cannot control. If anything, you should learn to treasure and savor the present even more.
Create your own survival manual and keep updating it constantly. Throw in a copy of this manual into your
bug out bag. There is no way you're going to remember everything that you've ever read.
Good luck – enjoy your next adventure responsibly.
OH - and Merry Christmas!
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About the Author: J.D. Phillips Runs
SurvivalCrackas.com and lives with his family in Southern California. You can follow him on
Facebook and download his Guide
How to Build the Ultimate Disaster Kit free of charge!
