Advising a new prepper

[K9medic2]

Lets be honest it must be a bit daunting to decided to become a prepper, watch a few YouTube videos then come on to one of the forums and compare what you have done with what those of us who started before "prepping" was a term have achieved.

So to help those people, who are sitting in an inner-city bed sit dreaming of a homestead in the Welsh mountains, and getting stressed on were and how to start. What is the realistic time in the UK we would need to prep for? Remember this is a new starter being given an achievable first mile stone.

It used to be 72 hours, but Katrina proved that one wrong. So my starting point would be - No outside help for 7 to 10 days.

What are your thoughts?

Look at where you are now.
What have you got in your home?
How many days food do you keep normally?
What is most likely to happen where you are?

Personally. It's flu/Covid/norovirus season so I would start by checking my over the counter meds. Top up on ibuprofen, paracetamol, decongestants, cough meds, diarrhoea meds fluid replacement meds etc.

Get just open packet food (favourite crackers)
just make with water foods. (Cous cous, mugshots, noodles,instant custard)
Just heat in microwave (soups, custard, rice pudding)
Combine and heat in microwave (curries, chilli, chicken in white sauce, tinned veg, rice)

These will also be useful in other scenarios.

I would also buy lantern and batteries. Asda do some good cheap ones.

Forgot to add get a couple of power banks as well. (One per person if possible. ) Also available at Asda. Not sure about elsewhere.

Basic Winter car kit.
Snacks,drinks, blanket per person, lantern, pack of cheap salt, spade (beach, or snow shovel) warm socks hats, gloves. Kids potty and bags.

Hand gel and wipes

What would be a realistic time frame for a UK based person new to prepping to aim for, that would give them the confidence of achieving the first step?

72hrs?
7 - 10 days?
1 month?

I was lucky, I grew up in an era where a weekly shop was normal, so my steps in prepping were basically already achieved. But I worry that a lot of new people come to forums because they are worried, and get disheartened and overwhelmed trying to get started.

If they had a time frame - you have lost power for @@@ hrs - what do you need to do rather than a kit list, I think they would see its more about attitude then bank balance.

Not a prepper but always have several cartons of UHT milk and those part baked rolls that last for months unopened. One freezer draw is precooked labelled meals, one meat, one veg and smallest is general with a small loaf of bread in, ginger/garlic, English muffins etc. Pantry has beans, tomatoes, soups and tinned veg and potato, cous cous and a few packets of rice and various dry pasta and noodle packs. Miso soup in packs lasts well too. We get 20 packs of loo roll delivered regularly on subscribe and save so always have at least 10 rolls knocking about. I think we could last 2 weeks with the 2 of us food wise. My worry would be if electrics go as we got rid of the gas cooker.

I tend to break things down into very small steps.

So after preparing car and winter illness I would look at other common things that might happen.

Knowing where your stop tap.is and that it can turn on/off.
Knowing where your fuse box is.
Spare light bulbs

Fire safety.
Having a fire blanket and extinguisher.
Not having to rely on candles in a power cut. ( Adding to your lanterns and having one per person in the house to allow going to the loo and not leaving people in the dark)
more batteries.
Having a carbon monoxide alarm or three
Checking smoke alarms.
Have an exit plan.

I would also top up your first aid kit. And have one at home and in the car.

I always base it around things I think could credibly happen.
Power cut
Flu, or similar illness
High winds
impact of weather on supply chains.

To start with, I would break it into two sections.

• 24 hours without power/water in winter. Food, water, heat, hygiene, light.
• Get from A to B safely in winter and summer if driving.

Then 72 hours. Then a week. Then a fortnight.

Then think first aid. Think about living without computers (that means having cash).

Bit by bit, think about needs and get them covered.

If the computers are down, which I assume means the internet then most tills won't work and quite a lot of shops don't do cash any more and so wouldn't be able to take cash. How would cash help?

@Geneticsbunny Trees down? Pay someone with a chainsaw. (Chainsaws are dangerous. Pay someone who is qualified to use it. Don’t just go out and buy one and let loose).

Paying a plumber for burst pipes.

Paying someone for firewood. No, the tree that just came down isn’t firewood.

Cash can be circulated in a community whereas relying on a banking app brings life to a screeching halt when the electricity goes out.

I would have thought trading skills or goods might be more useful in that situation but I can see how money could be useful too I guess.

Cash helps if it just your bank that goes down. Which occasionally happens.

Lots of shops here take cash. Especially the one next to the secondary school ! They sell almost everything you could want.

@Geneticsbunny It’s Economics 101. Trading skills works if the plumber fixing your frozen pipes wants what you are offering and if you have the quantity required for equal value to be agreed upon.

You are making the assumption that whatever you have is wanted by the person with the skill you need.

Cash bridges that gap. It’s recognised by everyone. It’s immediate.

I haven't seen her around for a while but I always think bellini's advice was spot on which was to start small and build from there. If you are just starting out prep wise, then I think the best advice is not to try and jump straight into the deep end and plan for all out apocalypse. Its vanishingly unlikely and you are best off focussing in on the more common emergencies you are likely to have. The good thing is that even planning for small disruptions will make you better prepared for something big. My suggestions would be these areas

First aid/medical. Have you got a decent first aid kit and do you know how to treat common injuries? Get a basic kit and then augment it with things that you would find useful. I have a mini kit that I take on days out. Alongside the original contents i have added germolene, sting cream (my kids always found the nettles), painkillers, couple of tampons and a spare pair of disposable contact lenses. A cheap prep but enabled me to deal with a number of incidents for my family, but also other ones we've met while out and about (including 3 year old vs nettle patch and a nasty grazed knee up a mountain. They were very glad to meet us and our kit). Then look at your staying at home kit. The last thing you want with flu or a tummy bug is to have to go out and get meds. Build a core of medication that would come in handy. If you have prescription meds, order a wee bit early for a couple of rounds to help build up a stock so you wouldnt be in bother if there was any interruption to supply. Just remember to rotate so they get used up before expiration. Probably a good point here to build a stock of tampons/pads so you always have at least a months supply in stock. Or think about moving to reusable. If you wanted to go a bit more prepper then add some water purification tablets are cheap, long lasting and dont take up much space.

Home safety is a good prep but not one that gets the glory. Have you got smoke alarms and carbon monoxide ones if you have gas appliances or burn wood/coal? Do you have a fire escape plan and a method of extinguishing small fires eg mini extinguisher or fire blanket? Think about how in a fire you would have limited visibility- could you easily find your way out (and is it cluttered and untidy with trip hazards everywhere- if so clear it and keep it clear). Knowledge is important again- do you know how to move through a fire and what to do if you get stuck.

As you get deeper into prepping you can sort a full on bug out bag but a good basic prep is a hospital bag. This is what you'd grab if you had to suddenly go to A&E either as a patient or with someone. Mine has snacks and drinks, spare contact lenses, charger and battery pack, shawl (useful as extra blanket/pillow), spare meds, book, deodorant, travel toothbrush and toothpaste and spare pants,tights and top. This gives you a good basic level and once you have this sorted you can start thinking of more complex emergencies where small additions would be helpful. Eg copies of house insurance details on a flash drive takes up little space but would be useful if you ever needed to leave quickly due to fire/gas leak/flood etc that might damage your home.

There was a thread recently about some poor people stuck in a motorway closure (m4 possibly?) A read through that might help draw up a similar emergency bag to keep in the boot of your car.

Power outage. Identify what you have already (eg battery fairy lights and candles in you Christmas decs) and think about whether they are easily accessible and you have the necessary to make them work (eg batteries and matches). They'll be no use to you if you can't find them or use them. And dont rely on popping to the shops. If its widespread everyone will be doing the same and there's no guarantee you get what you need! If you want to know where you gaps are then do a fire drill type thing. Try an do a couple of hours without using electric (if you want proper hard core turn it off at the mains). That will help you focus on what things you need. Remember to vary the time of day and year. What you need 10am in July is different to 9pm December.

I think prepping is a kind of ladder. You can't get to the resilience of a homestead in Wales if you haven't got the basics in place. And the basics for everyday emergencies make you more resilient to the SHTF ones. It also starts a mind set that gets you starting to spot the gaps and how you can fill them which makes climbing to the next step of resilience easier. (Eg oh I could have a pen knife in my emergency kit, X is vital for me so I need to focus my preps in this area)

This means any big money preps are focussed on areas that would have most impact for your personal situation <eyes jackery solar system for DH's cpap and my beloved esse woodburner with hob and oven>

Having said all that, I've realised my stairs have become cluttered over christmas so I'm off to clear my escape route in a fire. Always good to have a reminder to review the basics!

I have run my prep right down as everything goes off so a good start is knowing how to rotate food and meds.

I keep ear out with news and I have a list and cash.

I would only prep food I commonly eat as that's easier to rotate. I always have two weeks worth of food in but it would get to weird meals if I had to use it up. Not interested in survival in Nuclear war etc.

I prep for power cuts and water cuts of around three days max. Lots of charged power banks, led candles, batteries etc. Cash to decamp to a hotel after that. I watched the local news in our last town water cut. The trick seems to getting through the first two days?as everyone was queuing for bottles for many hours on day one, less hours on day two and by day three the queues was better. So I don't need a week of water. I need enough for two days to drink, water source to flush loo. Except you can't wash etc.

Ie what works for you in a probable emergency. Unless your prepping for war you don't need hundreds of tins.

BUT after covid I always have loo roll for a month now 😁

I would always start small, and start by thinking.

What are the main things that might realistically happen in your home/area?
Power outage?
Fire?
Flood?
Maybe bad snow or higher temps than normal?
Or a job loss and lack of money?

Then think about your family situation and what you would need to manage in each scenario (do them one at a time initially - but there will be overlaps).
Do you have small DCs or elderly people to manage?
Are there people with medical issues or disabilities in your household?
What do you already have at home that is useful for this scenario?
Are there things you need to get - and are there options that cover more than 1 need or scenario or use?

So for a power outage, you need to think about heating the house (or part of it), having light so people don't fall down, having food and drinks, and possibly a first aid kit.

(You should always have a 1st aid/meds kit in the house with bandaids, cleaning wipes and some gloves, antibacterial cream, pain relief, basic meds for colds, diarrhoea, upset tum etc. You can upgrade that over time as money and your 1st aid skills allow. I tend to keep a small one in my car as well- in a plain ziploc sandwich bag, nothing fancy).

If you are involved in outdoor pursuits at all, do you already have a torch, a sleeping bag, a camping stove, a flask, a cool bag/box?
Do you have cosy blankets for movie nights?
Do you like smelly candles?
Do you have a wood burning stove?
Do you have a bbq in the garden?
What do you already have that you can use for this purpose?

If I am thinking about a power cut, I am thinking about who needs to go where around the house when it's dark. And how to keep people in just 1 or 2 rooms most of the time - to keep heat in and make it easier to light areas and manage potential problems. I clear pathways while it's bright - so there are no loose shoes on or at the bottom of the stairs, there's nothing to trip over going between the main space and the bathroom or bedrooms.

But I also think about how to entertain my people to stay in 1 place together - so might bring the fluffy throw from 1 bed, the favourite book and a colouring book from another room etc. And always find a deck of cards for endless entertainments and a board game the family might play.

Then, in colder weather, I close off all the other rooms (just close curtains once dark, and keep doors closed) to keep heat from moving from where we are, and keep cold rooms cold. In warmer weather, I am closing curtains in daytime to keep heat out and opening windows to let any breeze through, especially on the dark (not sunny) side of the house).

What food do I have that my family will eat, that is easy to prepare on 1 ring or just with hot water? What can be eaten cold? Is there someone else with power, or a gas cooker, or a local restaurant that's open, that I can ask to cook my food or I can buy a hot meal from?

To keep fridge and freezer cold for longer, I tend to take out the things that get used a lot (milk, butter, jam, juice, cheese, cooked meat etc) and put those in a cooler or even a cool bag from the supermarket. So that is what gets opened a lot - and I set a rule that DCs don't open the fridge, only DPs. What they need is in the cooler. If you have something in the freezer that's easy to reheat, you can put that in the cooler to thaw out but also keep the cooler cold for longer.

What battery operated or solar powered lights do I have? Are there solar garden lights I can use indoors and put out to charge in daytimes? Do I have spare batteries for any torches? Do I have those battery powered motion activated lights for middle of the night bathroom visits (perfect - leave them there) or to see coats in the cloakroom (take it out the use in the hall for a few days)?

Do I have, and can use safely, any candles? Only use those in rooms with no draughts, that you will be in constantly, and well out of reach of DCs in safe holders.

I tend to try and get DCs out running around in daylight and get as much "stuff" done in daylight so we have as little as possible needing moving around after dark - it's easier to cook in daylight that flickering light, and I might leave washing up until morning so I don't stab myself by accident, etc. After dark, we try to sit and play games, chat, maybe read if we have enough light etc - but also plan to get to bed early to snuggle up under duvets to keep warm.

And then I think through each scenario like that, what do I think might happen, what might I need to do for my family, what do I already have I can use in that situation, and do I need to add anything in?

So if a fire happens, that probably means leaving the house in a hurry - do I know where my important documents are to grab and could I have a set of clothes/meds for each person in a bag - a plastic bag of things and knowing I can empty a school bag to use as a backpack to have hands free to hold hands or deal with other things - could be something I would work through.

If the water goes out, do I have a water in the garden (a rain butt?) to use with a bucket or watering can for toilets, and a large pot I can fill for drinking water before the mains gets cut off? Or should I have a couple of bottles of water, and maybe a couple of cartons of juice, in the cupboard to get me started?

Do a lot of thinking before you even think about spending. And a lot of your spending can be normal things in normal shops or even Aldi/Lidl middle aisles are great for camping bits and tools that are decent quality and handy.

I think building the First Aid kit is a great place to start. On the internet, there is quite a lot of information on what to have inside it. I did stop at getting a suturing needle though. I have plenty of masks on hand too from Covid times.

Also, look at the emergency website for the country in which you live and they often have suggested emergency supplies to keep on hand. I live in Australia, so our emergency supplies will be more focussed on extremely hot temperatures and bushfire.

Also put together plans. If your area is prone to flooding, design a plan around that. Get ChatGPT to help you.

Given what is going on in the world and the fact that all of the rules seem to have been thrown out of the window I think the more people who are a bit "prepped" the better.
I am aiming to double the amount of food that we would ordinarily have in the pantry/freezer. Only with things we actually eat though otherwise it goes to waste. I am also making sure I have a good stock of ready to eat stuff like long life wraps, crackers etc and stuff that can be "cooked" very easily like cous cous.
I am taking cash out this afternoon. A reasonable amount.
I have topped up our oil. We have a very large log pile so that is helpful (although its warming up anyway now).
I'm about to start sowing seeds in the vegetable garden. I am roughly doubling the amount I ordinarily sow. I am putting in extra soft fruit.

Next big purchase is a portable solar generator to keep wifi and laptops plus the fridge running if we get power cuts.

I think of it as having a Plan A and Plan B.

Plan A is normal day to day life, shop as normal etc. If I could not access money or the shops to do this, Plan B kicks in-what do I need in to do this-don't make the mistake of buying stuff you won't use-buy things you will use anyway and rotate and replace. People do this for varying lengths of time, but it is fairly easy to get to a one month Plan B which is more than enough for most scenarios.

Plan C for me would be if I could not replenish Plan B at all in the month, so would be a major event. At this point, skills would be more valuable than stuff in my opinion. Its not something I would actively plan for unless I thought there was an actual possibility it would be needed, but I do have an interest in nature/identifying wild food and mushrooms-so although I do not currently forage, in an emergency, I could do this safely. I'm not really prepared to hold more than a month's worth of supplies. I would like to get a chest freezer this year though, as I like to batch cook and could do with some extra space.

I think 3 days is a good start. It’s roughly enough for basics like illness, power cuts, snow. Things that happen fairly regularly. And most people have space for 3 days general supplies

i grow as much as possible, and will be increasing this year. It protects against high inflation and low supplies. I can’t do it all at once. But every year for the last year I have added a few extra berry bushes and another fruit tree, so long term we are gradually getting more sufficient (especially in summer). I have started seeds, and any excess plants or produce I share with neighbours

Ok, so in light of the power cuts, I now understand the point of having cash stashed somewhere. How much is a sensible amount £500? A month's wages?

If you can afford $500, keep that. A mix of small denominations. If you want to keep more, do.

This is one question where there is no true answer. If you are single, your needs are different from a family with x number of children and elderly parents not far away.

About a weeks worth of family groceries cost?

Thanks guys

@Geneticsbunny your cash reserve needs to work alongside and as part of your prepping. Re the blackouts, if you had reserves of potable and non-potable water, food, a source of light and cooking and a method of getting home, you would have lesser need for cash.

One example might be if you worked in the city and only had stiletto shoes, a bit of cash might buy you a pair of joggers whether from a shop or a random house along the way to walk home in. Or to decide not to go home at all but stay in a hotel that you have seen running a generator for the night. If you work in the city, part of your prepping might be a small backpack with walking shoes with socks, a bottle of water and some oat bars so that such an event is easier on you.