Practical Preparedness

When you hear the word “prepper“, what do you think? The media has given us a very specific idea of who a “doomsday prepper” is- someone who is trying to prepare for the fear of societal collapse. However, statistically, these scenarios from unlikely to impossible.

On this episode of Homesteady, we discuss practical homestead preparedness. How can you best be prepared for life’s ups and downs? It is possible to practically prepare you and your family for very common emergencies and life changes, such as unexpected illness, job loss, or a weather event such as a blizzard, hurricane, or tornado. Rather than preparing for end of days scenarios, the homesteading conversation focuses on the positivity of utilizing your resources for readying your family for times when the road gets rocky.

Considering the steps to prepping can be very overwhelming. Many individuals look into prepping and become stalled in the process. However, it is important to start small. Putting together an emergency Altoid tin can be a first step to becoming more prepared for unexpected scenarios. If you run out space, you can upgrade to a formal Maxpedition pack. Aust has prepared an “every day carry” or “EDC” with useful tools such as a flashlight, some spare keys, and some cash amongst other essentials. Kendra then contributed by preparing a “go bag” in an LL Bean backpack for every member of the family.

While preparing for a Nor’Easter, a true blizzard, a personal emergency showed Aust and Kendra how useful their prepping could be. Aust shares the story of a medical emergency with his baby boy. Due to having go bags ready, Aust and Kendra were able to use the bags each of the kids had to quickly get the kids with a family friend and mom and dad to hospital, prepared with food, clothes, and toys. Kendra and the baby were able to go first to the hospital and then to the Ronald McDonald House to recover and continue the baby’s medical treatment with everything they needed to be warm, fed, and comfortable.

JJ Johnson, of the Reality Survival Youtube page and website, discusses the basic needs we all have regardless of the emergency situation, and how we can be prepared. All of us can be prepared to meet our basic needs in the event of job loss, weather events, or medical emergencies.

Some quick tips include:

• Keeping your resume updated
• Keeping cash on hand
• Having a minimum of one month’s living expenses in the bank (3-6 is ideal. Dave Ramsey provides some guidance on these steps.)
• Take a look at your local weather and environment to determine what you need and where you can go to prepare for a possible regional disaster event, such as a hurricane or wildfire.

While many preppers focus on gear,  Aust and JJ relay that financial preparedness can be the most useful way to begin prepping for everyday emergencies. Aust and JJ also discuss some of the more useful gear to purchase based upon what you see as your day to day needs.

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