Guest post by Teresa D
As preppers, we know the general state of our friends and neighbor’s pantries- bare at the end of the month, if you don’t count the stray jars of salad dressing, half-bags of bowtie pasta, and the occasional can of baby corn they didn’t put into that stir-fry. “Getting extra” means planning on more chips when friends come over to watch the game.
I created this article as the one-chance, first- or last-ditch attempt to teach someone about the basics of prepping. For many of us, we stand alone in the prepping arena, and are desperate to share our knowledge with others without seeming nuts or outrageous. This article is my attempt to do so.
Some preppers focus on techie gear- night vision goggles and such. Other preppers want to farm in seclusion. Some preppers rely on gunpower to feel secure. And most of us fall in the middle of the spectrum as money allows. Of course, you always have the more extreme zombie sites, 1800′s lifestyle sites, and the Mad Max/ TEOTWAWKI sites. Readers have to discern which style suits your family, your situation, your budget, and your outlook. I focus on scenarios that are high-likelihood and high-impact for my family.
- go 3 minutes without air
- go 3 hours without shelter
- go 3 days without water
- go 3 weeks without food
Our preparations, be they for a dead car battery, or all the way up to a Katrina-style interruption of our lives, must reflect the rule of 3. How so?
1. AIR: we should have means to protect our nose and mouth, such as a N95 mask. You may think there is no need for this, like I did until recently, when I read reports of a train car spill of chlorine which caused an immediate evacuation of a residential neighborhood because of fumes.
2. SHELTER: this is usually covered by our homes, but to be fully prepared, you need to think of where you would go if you had to leave your home. Don’t become a refugee! (it does apply to you: think Superdome) Whose house will you go to if your home is flooded? If forest fires threaten your street? What if they have also been evacuated?
3. WATER: one of the most crucially important features yet easily overlooked in our “turn the faucet” lives. If you have ever had to turn the water off for a few hours for a home repair, or been camping where you must haul in your water, you know how much we take it for granted. The first step towards water preparations would be to refill any sturdy containers with tap water instead of throwing them out. Soda bottles and Gatorade bottles are good for this. When you get more serious about your family’s safety, do a search on your local Craigslist for the phrase “rainwater collection” or “barrels/ buckets.” For about $10 you can get a 15-gallon receptacle; for $30 a 55-gallon barrel; for $80 a 275-gallon reservoir. Put them in each closet, in the garage, or under the deck, depending on size, and you are well on your way. Remember, WHO, FEMA, and other disaster organizations recommend one gallon per person for food preparation and drinking water.
4. FOOD: Food is one preparation that you can do all the time. Pick up more canned goods when you go grocery shopping. Get a dehydrator and dry fruits and vegetables. One of the best places to build up a supply of staples is the Food Storage Store through the Mormon, or LDS, church. Their prices are extremely low and they have stores all over the country.
They sell staple foods such as pasta, rice, wheat, sugar, and beans in 25# bags. A prepping tangent related to food is food storage. It’s pretty simple; food stored for an unknown disaster must be stored properly. Food deteriorates when in contact with light, warmth, and/ or moisture. A barrier that isn’t broken by these food storage culprits is called Mylar- the same, but thicker, as the party balloons. Many preppers use white plastic buckets found for free at local bakeries or restaurants to protect and store the food.
REDUNDANT SYSTEMS
Another important principle of prepping is having redundant systems. It means that if you only have one water bottle, and it gets shattered, then you have none. If you have 2, though, and one leaks, then you still have one. So, now you’ll understand when you see the phrase “One is none, two is one, three is two.” Here’s what redundancy means in the areas covered by the Rule of 3:
1. AIR: We discussed the simple protection of an N95 mask, and you can create a redundant system by having separated supplies of masks, or upgrading to a contaminant suit with sophisticated gas mask. They are actually not too expensive, and if you live near a nuclear facility or have a family member with a compromised immune system, they might be for you.
2. SHELTER: Generally your own home. Many preppers, especially those in cities, create a redundant system by have what is called a “bug-out plan” where they go to another location. It may be a like-minded friend, or your own rural property. Do you have, or know how to pitch a simple tent? Under all circumstances do not allow your family to become wandering refugees, or submit to the experience of being under government containment.
3. WATER: We discussed the first system of water storage above. To create a backup plan for this crucial resource, you need to look at local water sources and purchase a Berkey water filter. There are good plans online for making your own system using a Berkey, two 5-gallon buckets, and a spigot. A simple strong plastic tarp can be used during a rainstorm to collect water to refill your receptacles.
4. FOOD: To create redundant systems in food storage means to break up your properly stored foods around your house, property, and family. In addition, it means storing, planting, and harvesting non GMO seeds from your own garden. Learning to can what you grow is an excellent backup to grocery store canned food. Sprouting seeds is one way to grow your own, but you must have a huge amount stored to do it indefinitely. Having the means and knowledge to hunt, snare or raise your own meat is another way to duplicate a food source.
FINAL THOUGHTS
As you become more confident about why to prep, and it becomes second nature to make preparations, you will begin to branch out into other areas of preparation, which are beyond the scope of this article’s goal. To whet your appetite, they include:
- Security/ safety
- mindset/ emotional
- medical/ first aid
- silver/ barter /skills
I am a stay-at-home mama who just learned about prepping in February. I used to feel panicky when I read about inflation, food storage, and all the facets of preparing for any scenario. I thought that surely “THTF” was going to happen any day and my family and I would just be out of luck. Now I understand the necessity of working towards goals as each day allows, prioritizing, and not acting out of fear, but from a position of information.
{ 14 comments }
I have made a well bucket out of PVC pipe. Had to pull pump to see if it would work, and to my surpise it did. Figured if I pulled from well system the water would be safe to drink. I do have other ways of getting water, but this idea needs no treatment.
If you have a well this will work for you.
This is good advice. It’s somewhat similar to a test I recommended last year. The test is to list all the things you would need if you were suddenly placed on the moon (the moon is used merely because it’s a place where you would really need to start from scratch). The list you showed in you post is the correct list in order of priority. Some of my survivalist friends in the past have listed vehicle or gun at the top. I think I’ll follow your advice.
Good thoughts, but I did not get the three hours with shelter at all. Air, water, food, yes, but shelter? Just never heard that one…..nice article though….good luck!
Greetings. I assume you have never been forced to starve before? if you do you will note that your body is prepared for such a event. when there is no food your body tells you to eat. if you don’t in a few days the hunger pangs go away and your body switches to survival state in which it slowly draws down the energy it needs by using the stored fat cells in your body. that is why they are there in the first place. depending on your weight and amount of fat in your body you can go extreme lengths of time with no imput of food, you will simply lose weight and in general be a little tired. best I can see is to have 10 or 20 pounds of extra fat on your frame for hard times. this will give you a lee way of time to find food as you get along on the stored fat. and 20 pounds of body fat is equal in amount of energy your body can get out of it to many, many pounds of food. so is much easier to carry a few pounds of fat on you. don’t have to carry it in a pack. don’t have to cook it. don’t have to do anything special to it in order to use it. and it doesn’t have to be super high price survival foods, it can be made by your body out of what you normally like to eat because body fat is made by your body out of excess food intake and not simply fat from food that it trasfers to your body. Is no section of the body of Chicken fat or Pork fat. is only human fat. remember once your body uses up all the stored fat in your system then it will begin to use muscle tissue for fuel to survive with. not good. Rich.
Teresa D., I liked your article very much. It touched on the basic principles and gave some good reasons for prepping without being too frightening to newbies. Seems like a good article to use when trying to convince loved ones to get onboard with prepping.
It’s referring to extreme weather conditions, like falling through ice, getting caught in a snowstorm, etc. Thanks!
That is a good suggestion about the well, a narrow bucket is better than nothing at all! However, my well is over 225 feet down, so I am looking into a hand pump at $1300.
Great tips. Being a hurricane Katrina evacuee I know we left when it was volunteerly evactuation. My advice is if you think things are hitting the fan get out before it’s to late. It took us a 12 hour drive instead of the 24 hour drive my mother in law had to do because we left at 11PM. We had food, water, pot, a portable stove, oil (because our car had a oil leak) and our car was our shelter. I had all our pictures and important documents. We had to stop several times when the car became over heated. Water and oil was a great investment.
I guess I have been a prepper since 3 months before Katrina but I am still learning the rules as I was following my instincts. Now with blogs I am able to learn from others that have been doing it for years.
I guess my biggest thing I am prepping for is economy failure, hyperinflation, food shortages, so I have food supply for a year, guns and just bought ammo, and I invested in Silver. On my list of things to do I need to buy seeds and learn how to shot the guns I have. Blogs like these help me feel less isolated.
(W) – I think the ’3 hours without shelter’ aspect is dependent on the weather. If you’re in a blizzard and don’t have any shelter, you’ll be dead in about 3 hours; if it’s cold and you get wet and don’t have a sheltered area to dry off, you’ll be dead in about 3 hours; if you’re in a Saharan sand storm without shelter…. It’s a rule of thumb, not exactly verifiable by science.
Very nicely done. Your article is very helpful and informative. Just when I think I’ve covered the bases, I discover there’s so much more to be done. Thank you and the comment writers as well.
Good point. (W)
Great article! Teresa should win the contest!
The rule of 3 is a great idea to follow. I’ve recently gotten a notebook that I’ve been keeping notes and whatnot in. The rule of 3 will be one of them.
I enjoyed reading this. And I really liked the comment on “fat” on your frame. It’s true. But it will be uncomfortable to starve. Possible. But unnecessary if you prep some extra food. Don’t worry. When “TSHTF” you’ll lose weight. One way or another. Like it or not. So get prepped.
WHEN did shelter become part of the rule of three? The whole idea behind the rule is SIMPLICITY it isnt the rule of three by four it is the rule of THREE and JUST three!!! The fact is Shelter is NOT always a necessity. This is a variable based on climate, season and direct location. In temperate climates and locations where there are not storms, shelter is not needed if water is readily available, If you are on the move it is often not even a consideration. The Great American West was won by men who rarely carried shelter, Native American hunting parties almost never carried shelter sleeping under the stars… this Idea that shelter is an absolute is a flat out myth in half of the situations that a human is likely to end up in. This brings us to the TRUE rule of three: Air, Water, Food. Anything else can be made or improvised but these THREE are the true rule of three and can not be replaced by anything else. Shelter can be substituted with clothing in storms of all kinds try eating a tent some time… Three is three not four…
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