Good advice! I'm in my mid-sixties, and it took me a long time to get financially stable enough to buy a house. In 2010, I found one in a neighborhood with no HOA, natural gas, a well for irrigation, and a back yard big enough for a garden, albeit, a small one. I put in a privacy fence, and have a small micro-flock. I have an enclosed composter (no smells!), and so far, no problems with neighbors. As I said, it's taken me years to get to this point - not totally self-sustaining, but better than most. We weather Central Florida hurricanes very well. What most people nowadays don't seem to get is that there are many things you can do to improve your situation. First, learn to can and invest in canners, jars and lids. They are like money in the bank. Second, get a good quality vacu-sealer, and attachments for sealing mason jars. When I find good quality local produce, I buy as much as I can afford. A 25 lb case of tomatoes equates to 10 1/2 quarts canned. If I can buy for less than $0.80 / lb, I'm ahead. This works for just about any kind of vegetable. Learn to make jams, jellies and preserves! Have you seen what's actually in that commercial stuff?!! Buy cabbage when it's cheap and make sauerkraut. Take advantage of sales. Buy the larger, cheaper packages of meat and poultry and vacu-seal/freeze what you can, or pressure can. All these things can be done in an apartment. Convert a coat closet into a a pantry if you have to. By having a working pantry, this not only assures that you'll have provisions when you need it, your grocery bill will be much smaller in the long run. Use that vacu-sealer. You can buy 10 lbs of good rice and vacu-seal it in quart jars - It will keep fresh for a year or two. Ditto dried beans and lentils. Heck, I even vacu-seal sugar, chocolate chips, cereal - there's so many things you can do with a vacu-sealer. I get so tired of seeing people do nothing, and then wring their hands when there's no electric service for a week or so after a hurricane! Criminy. Learn to cook on a camp stove, people!! Think about stocking up on water and provision BEFORE there's a hurricane warning, or the SHTF. Last thing - don't tell all of your neighbors what you're doing or what you have. Let them think you're crazy and they'll pretty much leave you alone. Believe me, you don't want a bunch of people at your door looking for hand-outs.
Carol Avant Thank you for sharing! I am a beginning as well so this was so informative because I was overwhelmed. You and the people that are sharing are amazing human beings thank you so much!
In southern California we are under the continual threat of earthquakes, mudslides and fires. I try to keep my phone and iPad fully charged and I also keep cash on hand in the event that ATM's aren't working. I purchased a butane single burner stove and have several extra cans of fuel, I have a some totes with a couple of weeks supply of food, water, a radio with extra batteries and a first aid kit. We are by no means fully prepared but we've made some headway. Thanks to you and several others that I watch, I have learned a great deal more about being self-sustainable. Always enjoy your videos!
I've been a long time food saver/prepper and March 12th husband amputated part of his Pinky finger and no income but my little bit and he was off work for 1mon. 3wks....and I had no worries, what money we had gave US gas for doctors appointments and still be able to get things, because of me save, canning, fermenting food, which was comforting!!!! Ty for the great video!👍👍👍👍👍
Great video! I started small time prepping six years ago with just a few cans of this and that, just continue to increase a little all along until 2 1/2years ago because of stress and working conditions on me and my wife's diagnosis of all Alzheimer's at her age 52 i decided to go home without a paycheck and we are still doing ok because of being debt-free, a decent start out for food and supplies and continuing to increase my garden and food I put up from it. Thank you again for all you do.
We are still in an apartment and working towards buying a house, and still a couple years out of actually settling down somewhere. I feel like prepping is SO IMPORTANT though! In order to do what we can in spite of our limited space, we keep about a months worth of food around the house, and I just recently started canning what I can get my hands on, so we have our bed up on risers, and we have crates of chicken and green chili and other food storage underneath. We also invested in a small chest freezer and it is in our daughters room, and I kid you not... it is her favorite thing ever! We set it up so she can play with farm animal and letter magnets all over it and she Loves it! (Fun and Functional!) We have really been working on putting together a 72 hour kit that we can grab and run when we need to! We live in Northern, AZ so fire danger is always a thing, so Super important! Eventually I really want a pop up camper.... mostly because I LOVE camping.... but I also want to keep it packed and ready to go at all times in case we need to evacuate quickly and then we can really be ready for Anything! My parents also are Great ate prepping! They have had a working pantry with a years worth of food my entire life! When they lost their job last year, they have been able to live off of that with spending under $20 a week ( buying just fresh things). What a testimony of the blessing that prepping can be!
I definitely belief in prepping, we lived thru Hurricane Hugo, we had no electric for 3 weeks and 3 small children. Gave away all the meat we could in our deep freezer to others who didn't have food, didn't want it to go bad and I couldn't cook it all. But it was a struggle to feed the family for that long and if I had only canned that meat and vegetables we would not have struggled so bad. I can when ever I can buy meat and vegetables on sale. Just canned 7 quarts of chicken today and am canning 20 lbs of potatoes right now. You never know when things are going to happen and it is a blessing to have food for your family when they need it. I also have extra medical supplies bagged up just in case. Sleeping bags for everyone if we have to leave, so much easier than taking blankets and stuff. Hugo really taught me that in a blink of an eye your life can turn upside down!
I am a newbie on prepping and I fully believe we need to do this. We recently purchased a home on an acre of land in rural area outside city limits (hope it stays that way) As I am turning 63 this year, we are just planning on a few chickens to get started and a couple goats. I don't let my age stop me from doing what I have really fallen in love with. Love your channel, I get so many good things from ya'll. thanks for all you do!
I am close to your age and doing the same thing. 3.5 acres and building sm house. Mames sense to have basics covered for any reason- job loss, disaster etc
I prep everything Gas,two full freezers,basement pantry. Stocked for months. Toilet paper,napkins,paper towels, Kleenex for three months. I also make my own laundry soap, bath soap,shampoo,conditioner,dog shampoo,dog food,dog treats. You name it I make it just about. I'm learning to dehydrate foods too so that's an even more sustainable way to prep. I learned to prep like this from experience and hard knocks. Love your videos Jamie . You and Jeremy will be ok. Your survivors! If you can survive Nepal you can get through moving to a better tomorrow.
I AGREE 😊 with you. I have been following a healthier life style for the last 2 years and have not gotten sick at all. Lost about 60lb and feel good. The headaches are gone and now I am ready to learn all about preping. Thanks for all the awesome videos you've made.
I'm a late to the party prepper. My husband lost his job last summer and things were tight for quite a while. I wish we had been better prepared with a more extensive food pantry. Thankfully he is working again. And I am now slowly building a working pantry that will sustain us for 6 months to a year and also building back up our savings and focusing on paying off debt. I have recently surpassed the 3 month food storage mark. A great milestone. Your videos, and other You Tube channels, have been great examples and offers me plenty of learning opportunities. Thank you!!
You do have very good ideas; I'm one who does have to remember to keep my car gas tank full! I do have food storage, but my question: WHY are you buying water bottles instead of re-filling from the tap? Get some larger bottles, say the gallon size, and use your tap while it is available. Saves money. (Obviously, doesn't work in Flint, Michigan, but you'll also be keeping the excess plastic out of the waste stream.)
We have 1 and 3 down but you know what, I have a terrible habit of not filling my gas tank. Ine scenario you mentioned - about having to run someone to the hospital in an emergency - really stuck out to me. That's so true. Thanks for the reminder and motivation to fill up more frequently!
One of my preps is to make sure my 70 gallon water tank in the RV parked beside my house is always full (doesn't freeze here) with clean drinking water. That's our back-up supply here in the desert. To get the water when we need it we use the RV pump, which will still work even if we lose power since we have a full solar array on the RV.
I agree totally. I have been in the position of middle of the night hospital run with an asthmatic child and neither me or my husband had any money on us. Nothing at all. So I had to worry about paying to park with a sick child. I think an emergency stash of money at home is important too. Love you guys and your channel
A seriously easy way to get started prepping is to stock your pantry correctly to start with. I have enough food for a few weeks in just my pantry, Also, my freezer has enough meat to get the 4 people in my family through at least a month. The fridge has more than enough to get us through a few weeks. The ingredients for meals can be converted to quick and life sustaining food that will help you get through weeks of lean times. As a teacher, sometimes the new school district is as many as 2 months off of the pay schedule, and we used my pantry/freezer/fridge combination to avoid the grocery store. We had an ice storm that stripped the electricity for 12 days, but I had beans, rice and canned meat that I could cook on the stove top, and we never went hungry. Prepping isn't just for end of the world/SHTF stuff, it's for life in general. k
Great video. I am starting to prep here in Australia 🇦🇺 . I didn't have a particular reason in mind for it (like community breakdown or natural disasters). Job loss is common and I have kids and a hubby to keep fed and healthy...there's my reason!! Thanks for the tips!! I really enjoy the information you provide.
We got snowed in for a week in January... was glad I had a well stocked pantry and wood pile... our family had three square meals everyday including pudding... it was a great trial run for a bigger emergency... and thought me a lesson or two about preps I need to keep more of and the things I need less...
Great video Jamie!!! Tight budgets are a nightmare when you live pay check to pay check..been there done that and it can be done. No, you can't buy everything at once but you can spend $2 on beans and rice one week and put it away. Then next week $2 on off brand canned goods. Add pasta and sauce the next week. Tuna the next. It will take some time but can be done. Fill jugs with water like she said. I suggest this from experience. I had $13 to feed my family of 3 for a week. It was years ago and my pantry has stayed stocked since. Check sale ads and plan your menu around them.This will help you stay on track and keep from fast food and then may be able to pick up a few things to put back. Have a leftover night at the end of the week one person eats pasta someone else eats the last pork chop and corn...you get where I am going with this. Tight budgets...you can do this!
I have been prepping for about 3 years now. I have about 2 weeks worth of food stocked up but I could defiantly stock more water. We did buy two water bobs to be ready to fill. I have taught myself to water bath and pressure can (with a little encouragement from TH-cam). We all have BOB's stocked and ready to go. I live in an earthquake state and want to be as ready as possible. I will try to be better about the gas in my vehicle. We do keep some at home and extra propane too for outdoor cooking. Thanks for the great video!
I also keep 10 gallons of gas on hand in an outbuilding with Stabilizer added. Use and replace it every Fall and Spring. Food and Water, Fuel, Fitness. Three pretty important preps in my book. Maybe the most important. (And the least expensive)!
Great advise. Buy an extra bag of rice or beans with every grocery trip. it will start adding up. there are canned meats and chicken that can be bought that last for 3 years these are simple items that can be purchased is small amounts. that's how I started. once I had 3 months of back up then I started the rotation you talked about
Northeast blackout in 2003. I woke up when things went silent. I usually have some kind of white noise when I sleep. I ran off to the Avenue to find out what was going on and found a massive crowd at Radio Shack trying to buy batteries, flashlights, etc with credit cards. I brought cash with me and was able to buy some batteries. My start to prepping. I now have a change jar for excess change and I try to have some paper money on hand. I also bought a good camping lantern and cook stove. I have stocked up on water and pick up a few pantry non perishables when I can. Dog and cat food, I am a little ahead on stocking up. It didn't all happen at once and I live in a little one bedroom apt in a big city doing what I can.
I went through a significant blizzard before I knew what you just shared; since then I have been a prepper. I live in an earthquake zone now so I have a new kit. Just bought more stuff this week. Good reminder for all of us. Thanks
For those on a limited budget (which is most people, myself included) you don't have to go wild all at once either. For stocking up your pantry I have found that if you watch for sales and use coupons you can stock up without it costing you much or even any extra. Buying basics when they go on sale allows you to get more for your money and put away the extra and it will surprise you how quickly you can build a store of food that way. I take the time to go through the flyers each week and buy my basics when they go on sale which allowed me to have a store of food without spending any extra money. All it took was a little time checking the flyers and once you get into the habit it becomes very easy to keep up.
Excellent start up....trying to convince my hubby that when the tank reads 1/2 full, consider it as empty, and get gas.....have all our important paper work ready in a file folder to take with us should there be a fire, etc......would like to get an outdoor well pump to use on our well for power outages (our power goes out a lot).....we use wood heat, would just need to cut trees down for use..... still working on the food issue.....
Practical-simple way to get started Jaime! I run my gas tank half to full. This is the perfect time to start a list for everyday prepping, first aid and emergency events. My Weather Emergency workshop paperwork, starts off with " It's Hurricane season again! Learn how to prepare for a hurricane, flood, blizzard or any weather event that requires you to batten down at home." Our beautiful fall season is a great time to sit down with a cup of tea and prepare a list for essentials. Our small local hardware store agreed to honor a 10% discount for my students to purchase items such as flashlights that plug into the wall. They come on automatically when the power fails. They also bought oil lamps, weather radios, etc.. See if your local hardware store will give a bulk discount on these types of items.
I think that the things you mentioned are great and after a while they will become second nature. I also keep about 5 gas cans full in the garage. Just refil as I use for the lawn mower, weed whacker, chainsaw, etc. I have a "life straw" and things like a fire steel, compass, whet stone for sharpening knives blah blah blah. something I have recently gotten interested in that would be great in a prepper situation is cast iron cookware. Fry pans and a dutch oven. You can cook with them outside over a wood fire without ruining them. i think the pantry idea and water is probably the most important.
My wife and I are Costco members. Every trip I go up there I grab an extra case of canned beans, veggies, or meat. Also, their water is super cheap. 40 half liter bottles for $3. Can't beat that. We have a small stockpile for now. Don't have much room in a one bed apartment. Planning a bigger space once we get our own house.
I store half liter waterbottles under my bed. In every little unused space in a closet you can put something and it is more room than you can imagen. I've got cans of beans stacked behind my financial binders. sssh. :D
I fully agree. I’m a combat veteran and when I see these preppers gearing up for the apocalypse and their guts hang past their belt line... well, I won’t be mean. You know what I’m saying. Healthy eating, activity, vision, no stagnation keeps the mind clear and positive.
When I started building my pantry, I bought double what I normally bought of items that had a longer shelf life. For example, canned goods, pastas, 5-gallon jugs to store water. Things that get old fast like baking powder or spices, I replaced before I ran out. I also put $5 a payday in an envelope to save up for a freezer and then a canner. It took a while to build up on my budget but you have to start somewhere. As for how much backup food? My advice is just start, even if it's only a few cans a week or a jug for water. Before you know it you'll have a week's back up, then 2-weeks. Before I knew it, I had a year's worth of the basics. One thing I wanted to add to Jaime's #3- Yes, get as healthy as you can and do your best to get off prescription medications, but until you do, get a reserve of drugs on hand case you can't get to the pharmacy. Days after 9/11, I was living in California far, far away from the trouble, but across the whole country shipping even from store to store was limited and if your pharmacy ran out, you could be in trouble. Some doctors won't write an extra prescription, but check with your pharmacy, many will renew a 30-day prescription after 20-25 days. Stay on top of it and after 3-6 months you've got your 30-day backup prescription. Jaime thanks for hanging in there... great video considering everything going on at your place. You are truly a survivor. xoxo
Yes, I like this type of video. I believe in being prepared. You never know when the power will go out or flooding in my area. Always good to be prepared.
I've always had a proper working pantry. I was raised that way. I recommend that people stock up during sales and use coupons. I also recommend that if you buy one can to use then also buy one to store. If you have money to get fast food then cook at home and use that money to prep. I don't believe in zombies. However, everyone should keep six months minimum of food and supplies on hand. If you or your partner lose your job this is one less thing that you will have to worry about. I also recommend learning how to garden and planting fruit trees in your yard. As for gas you should always have half a tank. If there is a minor power outage that lasts several hours to overnight the pumps won't work. If you are out of gas you won't be able to get home.
Everyone should keep a few 5 gal gas cans in their lawn mower outbuilding for back up. The pipeline blew up in Alabama and all the stations were out of gas for 3 days in several states.
even though I live in a small village in Germany I prepp I have a pantry with my canned goods a veggi garden and I make sure I have by fall enough seeds for the coming season so if something happens that I can plant what we need without having to run to the store to find the seeds I am currently building a greenhouse out of old windows and a woodshed
I love your ideas! Having enough essential foodstuffs and water and being healthy are definitely the two most important things you can do and depending on your situation making sure your car can get you a fair distance before needing to fill up is number three.
I've build my pantry without canningskills and I ave to be very fugal in my budget. I bought just one apck of rice or one pack of canned meat extra each week I did my groseries. Afther 3 month I got a decent pantry. When I get my pot and learned canning I'll start exchanging my procesed meat for freshly cannned. It is doable.
We have an old van we use for camping. We leave the essentials except food in it. In an emergency that would be our escape plan. Just need to put food, water, and a set of clothes in it. Otherwise it is ready to go. We have some canning done plus some freeze dried. We could do a couple of weeks on that. The gas after the tank is gone would be the problem.
I started my emergency food preps on the cheap, so I know that it can be done by most anyone. Here's what I started with: Beans, rice, spices, salt, sugar, freeze dried coffee, vitamin/mineral suppliments, and tea. Granted, it isn't pretty and it will get old fast. However, it will get you through- provided that one also considers water purification, and alternative ways to cook it. One can also hunt, fish, gather various native plants, grow and preserve their own food, and/or barter to suppliment this food source, so it's not as bad as it looks. But, only 'if' you have the skills and a few additional resources, which also are not that expensive.
I do what you do, preparing for the 'what-if' situation. Not necessarily a world economic crash or a nuclear disaster that interrupts shipping/commerce, etc but the what-ifs...storms, illness, loss of income, etc.
All good ideas and I live by them all. When I bought My new truck I made sure it had the over sized fuel tank that gives me an 800 mile range when full. :-)
We're kind of new to prepping (about a year or so), but I'm glad to see that we are probably heading in the right direction with what we're doing. We are learning to have a stock of food and water, but we are also learning how to replenish our food and water in emergency types of situations when things aren't "normal". We are learning about gardening, different preservation methods, foraging... We have a small medical kit started, but we're also learning about herbal medicines and to be watchful about prevention. I'm trying to get my diabetes under better control with diet and exercise so I don't have to rely so heavily on my medications. We have gathered emergency information and important documents into a place where we can just grab them and go if we have to leave quickly, but we REALLY need to be working on being sure that we have the right things in our car and a decent supply of gas. Thanks for the video. :)
I live alone and 3 years ago I broke my leg. Having tined food in the house was a Godsend . Second point , not mentioned by you . There is always a small amount of dirt in storage tanks at a gas station . Sometimes unknown to you , if the tank is running low dirt will suck it up into your tank. So when your tank gets low this dirt will get into your engine. I always buy gas when the tank is showing half empty , for that reason . Third point , make some arrangement for someone you trust to get your money for you. If for any reason it is not possible to collect it yourself , there is nothing worse , running low on cash .
So true. For us, before the earthquake (Christchurch 2010), we'd usually let the tank get down to warning light. After the earthquake - always 1/4 tank. That's enough for us to get town - home - town comfortably.
Great points one thing to add is knowing your local weather and disaster history for example I live in Oklahoma I have seen 2 EF5 tornados so keeping my emergency back ups on a second floor closet is probably a bad idea. Instead I keep them in a central closet in my house or a basement or cellar. For a fire prone are you might keep them in a closet closest to the door, same with a hurricane zone and so on. That way you still have this stuff to use after the event has occurred or you had easy movement in evacuation. Love keeping the gas tank full most people never think of that one.
I'm glad you talked about eating right and being healthy! Fitness is the best prep. And keeping the tank full should just be common sense. It only takes a few hours for a station to run dry in a panic, and even a lightning storm can shut down the pumps. Back in the 70's Johnny Carson joked about a (non-existent) toilet paper shortage, and people went out and caused one in panic. You just never know what will be a trigger event...
All good advice. For a pantry, I think a lot of people that don't have money should focus on dry goods like noodles, rice, and dry beans. They can lower the grocery bill, and stretch out meals. They don't take up much space and can provide needed calories. I always have some cooked dry beans in the fridge that I add to soups along with some broken spaghetti noodles. Easy and cheaper to buy in bulk. I especially like the one about staying healthy. How many preppers and homesteaders have I seen that are about 100 lbs overweight!
I keep one 6-gallon jerry can for water for each person in the house, and another for the pets. They get filled if we're expecting bad weather, along with pots and pans in the kitchen, and the bathtub (for flushing toilets).
Excellent points Jaime. As for those who say they can't afford to start with buying a weeks worth of food, they could just buy an extra can or two of veggies, fruits or even canned meat each time they go to the store. Also, they could hit up dollar stores for some extra rations and medical supplies. Wally World is another good place. They have canned veggies for like 49 cents a can (off name brand) and lots of OTC med supplies for 88 cents each. There's many ways people can afford to get started and not break the bank. Keep up the great videos!!!
I tell folks to have a minimum of 72 hours of food and water for each family member and make it stuff that doesn't require cooking (power outage). I also tell them to have candles, flash lights, charged cell phone, and a first aid kit handy. That's the bare minimum. I also emphasize a means of self defense. If everyone had at least that we as a country would be much better off.
I agree with LandseerNorth - we always keep 10 gallons of Stabilizer gas on hand. As well as we have a kerosene heater for emergencies - so 20 gallons of kerosene as well. A few bottles of lamp oil, spare batteries, a fully charger power pack that can jump start the truck or run some small tool if needed (all the rechargeable anything is also always charged). Extra ammunition too. We have had blizzards here that have knocked out power for a week+ - never want to be in the spot were I have to look at my child and fear him being cold or hungry. Oh another thought - we also have a Patrolman SW-60 (ours is old as the hills) radio handy in the kitchen. It is a sw/am/fm/vhf air-hi/vhf lo/uhf radio that we have found invaluable when power is out and you can't flip on the tv or hit the internet see what is happening around your area.
Single Family fires are the most common disaster. So ensure you have smoke alarms, two ways out of every room and a meeting place that all family members know and practice.
I don't actively prep, but I do have a significant pantry. I could easily eat off what I have in my pantry and freezer for probably a couple of months. That would likely be enough to get me through a short crisis situation and I'm OK with that for now. I like your suggestion about the gas tank. I hadn't thought of that. Makes a lot of sense and I'll do that from now on. Your videos are great--quality and content. Very organized presentation. Professionally done. Thanks!
Great advice Jaime! I have started prepping some...I live in an apartment in a fairly big city. I've got alot of bottled water, a lot of canned food, (beans and such), even bought a small, portable stove, but I haven't canned anything. I want to...so I'll have to revisit your canning videos. Thanks. cate xo
We have been down to one income for a year now and my pantry has helped tremendously. I have been stocking my pantry for years. It wasn't until last summer that I learned about prepping and homesteading. Now we are doing both😉
Might be able to afford an extra week worth of food but you could probably afford an extra can of food each time you go to the grocery. Slowly building up a pantry is easy and less sticker shock. Once it is established then it become maintaining the levels and good rotation. We canned enough green beans for the year for the first time I estimate the cost to be half of what it is to buy canned stuff on sale at the store. We are still eating on last years canned tomatoes (pasta/pizza/chili sauce). This year we are looking at making ketchup, juice, straight sauce and paste (possibly). Our carrots were a fail this year and I have a plan for next year. Potatoes were a first time success however not nearly enough. I'm expecting 40-50 lbs total out of the garden. We will freeze some and can the rest. The initial investment is high with a lot of this stuff but the long run is so much cheaper and healthier. Plus the satisfaction of eating your own grown food. Last night was home raised pork and beef ribs, Last years sweet corn, this years potato (baked). Yeah, yeah, I know, two starches. when a toddler says they want corn you don't really argue that much lol.
There have been a few times here recently that having some extra food in the freezer and pantry (bought on sale in small amounts at a time) has meant that I could get through to the next paycheck. Nothing about my kitchen/pantry/budget is large but small things here and there really help.
I've been a prepper for a long time and while what you said didn't really have a teaching moment within your advice it's also good to go back to the original idea of why you became a prepper to start with and you did that for me. Being an avid shooter it's really easy to get caught up in only that side of prepping, and though it's important, I personally believe is less important than the three things that you just covered. Love all of your videos!
Now we can finally start prepping. Excellent advice on the gas tank. We got stuck in a huge gasoline shortage in Yonkers and that precaution would have saved some trouble! Thanks so much for the great advice and knowledge. I have cut down on my Heineken ;)
Excellent advice, Jamie, thank you! I think I would put a portable water purifier at the top of my list. How long can we live without potable water? Not long, like 5 days. And if you are on foot, you can't carry much bottled water . I have a Sawyer Mini in my BOB right now. I gave my nephew one when he went off to college and he looked at me like I had a screw loose 🙄
On the Pantry you can just decide today that from now on, every trip to the Grocery Store you will buy 1 tin of Something - Tuna, Ham, Soup, Fruit, and/or 1 packet of Something - Dried Soup, Instant Potatoes, Pulses. If you start doing that before very long you have a surfeit of FOOD for use in Emergencies. You don't have to do it all in big shop, adding a little and often builds up surprisingly easily and doesn't have to cost you a fortune. If you're short on space, make it dried rather than tinned. I can store 20 packets of Vegetable Soup that's either 1 pint or 1 Litre in the same space as 6 tins that yield 400 ml each. I'm not looking at Gourmet, (although there are some Dried soups I really like) so much as practicality.
Guildbrook Farm | Simple Sustainable Living Egg-Zack-Lee!! Could you offer some advice though about how the 'Average Starter Prepper' should go about storing Drinking Water? Long Term plastic bottles leech chemicals into the liquid. Have you advice that doesn't require fancy equipment or Plumbing Expertise? Thank You.
I will add,prepare to defend your food and water against rodents.Our cat disappeared and a year later the varmits showed up,got into my pantry.I was heartbroken as that little extra had been hard to come by.They even chewed thru plastic jugs of water.Glass canning jars were safe and my animal food is in metal cans now.I had to resort to poison,but having a good cat can be important to protecting what you have,not to mention your health.
My two cents: The scenarios you talk about are the ones that most likely will affect most of the population. A couple of #10 cans of dehydrated foods is not expensive ($9.00 to $19.00) and contain 20 to 40 servings in each can. Two cans of chicken flavored bits, two cans of beef flavored bits, two cans of mixed soup vegetables and two to four cans of instant potato flakes and two large boxes of rolled oats. (each can about $10.00 at Walmart and that's about 3 to 4 weeks of survival food storage for just over $100.00).
I live out in the middle of nowhere in ma. We have no grocery store, its 2 towns over. Everyone I know here has a pantry. Sometimes we trade what we have for what we might like.
Of all the prepping checklist items I think you hit the top 3. Good tips.. For food stocks, follow the "buy two" rule and stash one of 'em. Lessens the financial impact and it's pretty surprising how fast you can build a stockpile. Then you can start rotating the items. Like said below, gas can be stockpiled that way too. Good vid!
I just started prepping a few weeks ago(I learned to bake bread). The prepper videos I like the most are the ones that have your type of mindset. Where to start, live a healthy life style-which I do, start small and work your way up. I don't own an assault rifle and a cache of hand guns-not that I am opposed. I am starting with bulk basics like rice, beans and flour. If an earthquake happens as I live in SoCal I will be safe for a few weeks. If a SHTF or WROL happens I probably won't make it since I am have little firearms.
Great video, very practical information that some of us don't consider until we're faced with a difficult situation. I love the idea of never letting your gas tank fall below a half tank. It's something that honestly never crossed my mind until this hurrican Irma sent everyone scrambling to the gas stations in my area days before we were due to have any inclement weather at all. Love your channel!
There are ways to do it like if you are low income you can receive food through food banks or check out your local community fridges. My neighborhood has community fridges/pantries all over the city and they each have different things from frozen meat to produce and various grains. The local community puts items in there and it really helps a lot of people. Also try doing things like instead of canned beans getting dried beans, you get more for your buck and can save the rest for later. It doesn't have to be this big food haul but buying things overtime.
Great thoughts, thanks. If you don't have a lot of money, keep a stock of rice and lentils. Those cost close to nothing and will supply you with carbs and protein, just in case...
Everyone has got to prep for the basics, great video Jamie! I have all that you mentioned including keeping my gas tank full, that's a great tip which always gets people at the worst of times. I also have two EDC bags, a medium one that goes with me in my car daily and a large one which I've been tweaking for years. In an emergency I can grab either one and and know all is there for most situations. My larger bag has enough for a 72 hour bug out including even personal information with a mirrored twin hard drive backup of all my personal data and a 3rd back up of all my really important documents on a USB KEY in case my house burns and I loose everything. I'm set up where in the event of fire I'm right beside that bag so in seconds I'm out a window with it and at least I have that. I even have a multi pack of R95 charcoal masks in case of some kind of outbreak or toxic issue etc... It wont save your life but stopping 95% of most air and oil based particles might be enough to keep you going until you can get medical treatment. You'd be amazed at how many people have emergency bags but they can't carry them more than a mile! You also be amazed that there are a lot of crappy products so testing everything long term and weeding out all the products that will fail you is a necessity when it needs to be reliable. I do backpacking and I take that system with me to ensure it all works.
Here's some info on r95,n95, n99 masks... www.envirosafetyproducts.com/resources/dust-masks-whats-the-difference.html. You can see that even some smoke partials can be stopped but not all. Also many other partials that are bigger than .3 micros can be stopped. For the few ounces of weight its worth it to me to have.
Every time we empty a gal of milk, the jug gets washed and filled with water from the tap (our water comes from a nearby lake). It can be boiled or add bleach if needed since water stores like this isn't shelf stable.
And I do keep a well stocked pantry and freezer, and a good amount of over the counter meds, just need to get some more advanced items into this such as a suture kit and items for more major health problems
Oh gosh, Yes! I live 45 minutes south of Jacksonville. I got gas way ahead of Matthew last year, we were out for weeks down here. People were literally following the gas trucks.
I prep and my husband was apart of that group of folks who were laid off. I didn't have to spend as much on groceries due to our stockpile. Prepping has some really good practical uses that don't always mean "it's the end of the world" as some people would think. When the rona hit I was able to switch from going every 2 weeks to the grocery store to once a month. And if I wanted to really push it I could go every month and a half because of prepping.
I like your videos. I like your approach to the prepper side. I have 21 solar panels, the garage is grid tied. Everybody wants me to take the housed off grid. I will move 1-2 years, where I can start a garden.
Tfs I always have kept my cupboards stocked with food but we are food people we wouldn't make it without our food lol seriously I always have because our whole family has always done it my mom,granny, aunts, uncles and so has my hubbies family we have a small chest freezer that I keep stocked up too. My suggestion to people is always make sure your phone is fully charged. Thanks again for all your info on prepping
For more videos on Prepping: goo.gl/iyHa5M Thanks for watching!
Good advice! I'm in my mid-sixties, and it took me a long time to get financially stable enough to buy a house. In 2010, I found one in a neighborhood with no HOA, natural gas, a well for irrigation, and a back yard big enough for a garden, albeit, a small one. I put in a privacy fence, and have a small micro-flock. I have an enclosed composter (no smells!), and so far, no problems with neighbors. As I said, it's taken me years to get to this point - not totally self-sustaining, but better than most. We weather Central Florida hurricanes very well.
What most people nowadays don't seem to get is that there are many things you can do to improve your situation. First, learn to can and invest in canners, jars and lids. They are like money in the bank. Second, get a good quality vacu-sealer, and attachments for sealing mason jars. When I find good quality local produce, I buy as much as I can afford. A 25 lb case of tomatoes equates to 10 1/2 quarts canned. If I can buy for less than $0.80 / lb, I'm ahead. This works for just about any kind of vegetable. Learn to make jams, jellies and preserves! Have you seen what's actually in that commercial stuff?!! Buy cabbage when it's cheap and make sauerkraut. Take advantage of sales. Buy the larger, cheaper packages of meat and poultry and vacu-seal/freeze what you can, or pressure can. All these things can be done in an apartment. Convert a coat closet into a a pantry if you have to. By having a working pantry, this not only assures that you'll have provisions when you need it, your grocery bill will be much smaller in the long run.
Use that vacu-sealer. You can buy 10 lbs of good rice and vacu-seal it in quart jars - It will keep fresh for a year or two. Ditto dried beans and lentils. Heck, I even vacu-seal sugar, chocolate chips, cereal - there's so many things you can do with a vacu-sealer.
I get so tired of seeing people do nothing, and then wring their hands when there's no electric service for a week or so after a hurricane! Criminy. Learn to cook on a camp stove, people!! Think about stocking up on water and provision BEFORE there's a hurricane warning, or the SHTF.
Last thing - don't tell all of your neighbors what you're doing or what you have. Let them think you're crazy and they'll pretty much leave you alone. Believe me, you don't want a bunch of people at your door looking for hand-outs.
Love your post! I turn 63 this year, but I sure don't feel it! Such great advice, thank you---I am new to this but can't wait to fill my pantry!
You go, Girl! So much you can do - most of it easy to learn. You can do it!
Carol Avant Thank you for sharing! I am a beginning as well so this was so informative because I was overwhelmed. You and the people that are sharing are amazing human beings thank you so much!
I love your last tip the most😁
In southern California we are under the continual threat of earthquakes, mudslides and fires. I try to keep my phone and iPad fully charged and I also keep cash on hand in the event that ATM's aren't working. I purchased a butane single burner stove and have several extra cans of fuel, I have a some totes with a couple of weeks supply of food, water, a radio with extra batteries and a first aid kit. We are by no means fully prepared but we've made some headway. Thanks to you and several others that I watch, I have learned a great deal more about being self-sustainable. Always enjoy your videos!
I've been a long time food saver/prepper and March 12th husband amputated part of his Pinky finger and no income but my little bit and he was off work for 1mon. 3wks....and I had no worries, what money we had gave US gas for doctors appointments and still be able to get things, because of me save, canning, fermenting food, which was comforting!!!! Ty for the great video!👍👍👍👍👍
Great video! I started small time prepping six years ago with just a few cans of this and that, just continue to increase a little all along until 2 1/2years ago because of stress and working conditions on me and my wife's diagnosis of all Alzheimer's at her age 52 i decided to go home without a paycheck and we are still doing ok because of being debt-free, a decent start out for food and supplies and continuing to increase my garden and food I put up from it. Thank you again for all you do.
We are still in an apartment and working towards buying a house, and still a couple years out of actually settling down somewhere. I feel like prepping is SO IMPORTANT though! In order to do what we can in spite of our limited space, we keep about a months worth of food around the house, and I just recently started canning what I can get my hands on, so we have our bed up on risers, and we have crates of chicken and green chili and other food storage underneath. We also invested in a small chest freezer and it is in our daughters room, and I kid you not... it is her favorite thing ever! We set it up so she can play with farm animal and letter magnets all over it and she Loves it! (Fun and Functional!) We have really been working on putting together a 72 hour kit that we can grab and run when we need to! We live in Northern, AZ so fire danger is always a thing, so Super important! Eventually I really want a pop up camper.... mostly because I LOVE camping.... but I also want to keep it packed and ready to go at all times in case we need to evacuate quickly and then we can really be ready for Anything!
My parents also are Great ate prepping! They have had a working pantry with a years worth of food my entire life! When they lost their job last year, they have been able to live off of that with spending under $20 a week ( buying just fresh things). What a testimony of the blessing that prepping can be!
I definitely belief in prepping, we lived thru Hurricane Hugo, we had no electric for 3 weeks and 3 small children. Gave away all the meat we could in our deep freezer to others who didn't have food, didn't want it to go bad and I couldn't cook it all. But it was a struggle to feed the family for that long and if I had only canned that meat and vegetables we would not have struggled so bad. I can when ever I can buy meat and vegetables on sale. Just canned 7 quarts of chicken today and am canning 20 lbs of potatoes right now. You never know when things are going to happen and it is a blessing to have food for your family when they need it. I also have extra medical supplies bagged up just in case. Sleeping bags for everyone if we have to leave, so much easier than taking blankets and stuff. Hugo really taught me that in a blink of an eye your life can turn upside down!
I am a newbie on prepping and I fully believe we need to do this. We recently purchased a home on an acre of land in rural area outside city limits (hope it stays that way) As I am turning 63 this year, we are just planning on a few chickens to get started and a couple goats. I don't let my age stop me from doing what I have really fallen in love with. Love your channel, I get so many good things from ya'll. thanks for all you do!
I am close to your age and doing the same thing. 3.5 acres and building sm house. Mames sense to have basics covered for any reason- job loss, disaster etc
I prep everything Gas,two full freezers,basement pantry. Stocked for months. Toilet paper,napkins,paper towels, Kleenex for three months. I also make my own laundry soap, bath soap,shampoo,conditioner,dog shampoo,dog food,dog treats. You name it I make it just about.
I'm learning to dehydrate foods too so that's an even more sustainable way to prep.
I learned to prep like this from experience and hard knocks.
Love your videos Jamie . You and Jeremy will be ok. Your survivors! If you can survive Nepal you can get through moving to a better tomorrow.
I AGREE 😊 with you. I have been following a healthier life style for the last 2 years and have not gotten sick at all. Lost about 60lb and feel good. The headaches are gone and now I am ready to learn all about preping.
Thanks for all the awesome videos you've made.
I'm a late to the party prepper. My husband lost his job last summer and things were tight for quite a while. I wish we had been better prepared with a more extensive food pantry. Thankfully he is working again. And I am now slowly building a working pantry that will sustain us for 6 months to a year and also building back up our savings and focusing on paying off debt. I have recently surpassed the 3 month food storage mark. A great milestone. Your videos, and other You Tube channels, have been great examples and offers me plenty of learning opportunities.
Thank you!!
I'm at the 3 month food storage level. I think I need to up mine to 6 month.
You do have very good ideas; I'm one who does have to remember to keep my car gas tank full! I do have food storage, but my question: WHY are you buying water bottles instead of re-filling from the tap? Get some larger bottles, say the gallon size, and use your tap while it is available. Saves money. (Obviously, doesn't work in Flint, Michigan, but you'll also be keeping the excess plastic out of the waste stream.)
We have 1 and 3 down but you know what, I have a terrible habit of not filling my gas tank. Ine scenario you mentioned - about having to run someone to the hospital in an emergency - really stuck out to me. That's so true. Thanks for the reminder and motivation to fill up more frequently!
One of my preps is to make sure my 70 gallon water tank in the RV parked beside my house is always full (doesn't freeze here) with clean drinking water. That's our back-up supply here in the desert. To get the water when we need it we use the RV pump, which will still work even if we lose power since we have a full solar array on the RV.
I agree totally. I have been in the position of middle of the night hospital run with an asthmatic child and neither me or my husband had any money on us. Nothing at all. So I had to worry about paying to park with a sick child. I think an emergency stash of money at home is important too. Love you guys and your channel
Good point. Money if there is a power outage from a natural disaster would be hard to get. Might be good to have a lot of money for emergency.
A seriously easy way to get started prepping is to stock your pantry correctly to start with. I have enough food for a few weeks in just my pantry, Also, my freezer has enough meat to get the 4 people in my family through at least a month. The fridge has more than enough to get us through a few weeks. The ingredients for meals can be converted to quick and life sustaining food that will help you get through weeks of lean times.
As a teacher, sometimes the new school district is as many as 2 months off of the pay schedule, and we used my pantry/freezer/fridge combination to avoid the grocery store. We had an ice storm that stripped the electricity for 12 days, but I had beans, rice and canned meat that I could cook on the stove top, and we never went hungry.
Prepping isn't just for end of the world/SHTF stuff, it's for life in general.
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Great video. I am starting to prep here in Australia 🇦🇺 . I didn't have a particular reason in mind for it (like community breakdown or natural disasters). Job loss is common and I have kids and a hubby to keep fed and healthy...there's my reason!! Thanks for the tips!! I really enjoy the information you provide.
We got snowed in for a week in January... was glad I had a well stocked pantry and wood pile... our family had three square meals everyday including pudding... it was a great trial run for a bigger emergency... and thought me a lesson or two about preps I need to keep more of and the things I need less...
As for food you can just buy an extra item or two to put back. Such as a can of beans or some rice during your regular shopping trip.
Great video Jamie!!! Tight budgets are a nightmare when you live pay check to pay check..been there done that and it can be done. No, you can't buy everything at once but you can spend $2 on beans and rice one week and put it away. Then next week $2 on off brand canned goods. Add pasta and sauce the next week. Tuna the next. It will take some time but can be done. Fill jugs with water like she said. I suggest this from experience. I had $13 to feed my family of 3 for a week. It was years ago and my pantry has stayed stocked since. Check sale ads and plan your menu around them.This will help you stay on track and keep from fast food and then may be able to pick up a few things to put back. Have a leftover night at the end of the week one person eats pasta someone else eats the last pork chop and corn...you get where I am going with this. Tight budgets...you can do this!
I have been prepping for about 3 years now. I have about 2 weeks worth of food stocked up but I could defiantly stock more water. We did buy two water bobs to be ready to fill. I have taught myself to water bath and pressure can (with a little encouragement from TH-cam). We all have BOB's stocked and ready to go. I live in an earthquake state and want to be as ready as possible. I will try to be better about the gas in my vehicle. We do keep some at home and extra propane too for outdoor cooking. Thanks for the great video!
I totally agree with you! My wife and I prep a little every week.
I also keep 10 gallons of gas on hand in an outbuilding with Stabilizer added. Use and replace it every Fall and Spring. Food and Water, Fuel, Fitness. Three pretty important preps in my book. Maybe the most important. (And the least expensive)!
Great advise. Buy an extra bag of rice or beans with every grocery trip. it will start adding up. there are canned meats and chicken that can be bought that last for 3 years these are simple items that can be purchased is small amounts. that's how I started. once I had 3 months of back up then I started the rotation you talked about
Northeast blackout in 2003. I woke up when things went silent. I usually have some kind of white noise when I sleep. I ran off to the Avenue to find out what was going on and found a massive crowd at Radio Shack trying to buy batteries, flashlights, etc with credit cards. I brought cash with me and was able to buy some batteries. My start to prepping. I now have a change jar for excess change and I try to have some paper money on hand. I also bought a good camping lantern and cook stove. I have stocked up on water and pick up a few pantry non perishables when I can. Dog and cat food, I am a little ahead on stocking up. It didn't all happen at once and I live in a little one bedroom apt in a big city
doing what I can.
I went through a significant blizzard before I knew what you just shared; since then I have been a prepper. I live in an earthquake zone now so I have a new kit. Just bought more stuff this week. Good reminder for all of us. Thanks
For those on a limited budget (which is most people, myself included) you don't have to go wild all at once either. For stocking up your pantry I have found that if you watch for sales and use coupons you can stock up without it costing you much or even any extra. Buying basics when they go on sale allows you to get more for your money and put away the extra and it will surprise you how quickly you can build a store of food that way. I take the time to go through the flyers each week and buy my basics when they go on sale which allowed me to have a store of food without spending any extra money. All it took was a little time checking the flyers and once you get into the habit it becomes very easy to keep up.
Excellent start up....trying to convince my hubby that when the tank reads 1/2 full, consider it as empty, and get gas.....have all our important paper work ready in a file folder to take with us should there be a fire, etc......would like to get an outdoor well pump to use on our well for power outages (our power goes out a lot).....we use wood heat, would just need to cut trees down for use..... still working on the food issue.....
Practical-simple way to get started Jaime! I run my gas tank half to full. This is the perfect time to start a list for everyday prepping, first aid and emergency events. My Weather Emergency workshop paperwork, starts off with " It's Hurricane season again! Learn how to prepare for a hurricane, flood, blizzard or any weather event that requires you to batten down at home." Our beautiful fall season is a great time to sit down with a cup of tea and prepare a list for essentials. Our small local hardware store agreed to honor a 10% discount for my students to purchase items such as flashlights that plug into the wall. They come on automatically when the power fails. They also bought oil lamps, weather radios, etc.. See if your local hardware store will give a bulk discount on these types of items.
I think that the things you mentioned are great and after a while they will become second nature. I also keep about 5 gas cans full in the garage. Just refil as I use for the lawn mower, weed whacker, chainsaw, etc. I have a "life straw" and things like a fire steel, compass, whet stone for sharpening knives blah blah blah. something I have recently gotten interested in that would be great in a prepper situation is cast iron cookware. Fry pans and a dutch oven. You can cook with them outside over a wood fire without ruining them. i think the pantry idea and water is probably the most important.
My wife and I are Costco members. Every trip I go up there I grab an extra case of canned beans, veggies, or meat. Also, their water is super cheap. 40 half liter bottles for $3. Can't beat that. We have a small stockpile for now. Don't have much room in a one bed apartment. Planning a bigger space once we get our own house.
I store half liter waterbottles under my bed. In every little unused space in a closet you can put something and it is more room than you can imagen. I've got cans of beans stacked behind my financial binders. sssh. :D
I fully agree. I’m a combat veteran and when I see these preppers gearing up for the apocalypse and their guts hang past their belt line... well, I won’t be mean. You know what I’m saying. Healthy eating, activity, vision, no stagnation keeps the mind clear and positive.
Wow your pantry if full! Guess it is time for a new pantry tour!!!
When I started building my pantry, I bought double what I normally bought of items that had a longer shelf life. For example, canned goods, pastas, 5-gallon jugs to store water. Things that get old fast like baking powder or spices, I replaced before I ran out. I also put $5 a payday in an envelope to save up for a freezer and then a canner. It took a while to build up on my budget but you have to start somewhere. As for how much backup food? My advice is just start, even if it's only a few cans a week or a jug for water. Before you know it you'll have a week's back up, then 2-weeks. Before I knew it, I had a year's worth of the basics. One thing I wanted to add to Jaime's #3- Yes, get as healthy as you can and do your best to get off prescription medications, but until you do, get a reserve of drugs on hand case you can't get to the pharmacy. Days after 9/11, I was living in California far, far away from the trouble, but across the whole country shipping even from store to store was limited and if your pharmacy ran out, you could be in trouble. Some doctors won't write an extra prescription, but check with your pharmacy, many will renew a 30-day prescription after 20-25 days. Stay on top of it and after 3-6 months you've got your 30-day backup prescription. Jaime thanks for hanging in there... great video considering everything going on at your place. You are truly a survivor. xoxo
That is great advice...just start!!
Yes, I like this type of video. I believe in being prepared. You never know when the power will go out or flooding in my area. Always good to be prepared.
I've always had a proper working pantry. I was raised that way. I recommend that people stock up during sales and use coupons. I also recommend that if you buy one can to use then also buy one to store. If you have money to get fast food then cook at home and use that money to prep. I don't believe in zombies. However, everyone should keep six months minimum of food and supplies on hand. If you or your partner lose your job this is one less thing that you will have to worry about. I also recommend learning how to garden and planting fruit trees in your yard. As for gas you should always have half a tank. If there is a minor power outage that lasts several hours to overnight the pumps won't work. If you are out of gas you won't be able to get home.
Everyone should keep a few 5 gal gas cans in their lawn mower outbuilding for back up. The pipeline blew up in Alabama and all the stations were out of gas for 3 days in several states.
even though I live in a small village in Germany I prepp I have a pantry with my canned goods a veggi garden and I make sure I have by fall enough seeds for the coming season so if something happens that I can plant what we need without having to run to the store to find the seeds I am currently building a greenhouse out of old windows and a woodshed
I love your ideas! Having enough essential foodstuffs and water and being healthy are definitely the two most important things you can do and depending on your situation making sure your car can get you a fair distance before needing to fill up is number three.
I've build my pantry without canningskills and I ave to be very fugal in my budget. I bought just one apck of rice or one pack of canned meat extra each week I did my groseries. Afther 3 month I got a decent pantry. When I get my pot and learned canning I'll start exchanging my procesed meat for freshly cannned. It is doable.
We have an old van we use for camping. We leave the essentials except food in it. In an emergency that would be our escape plan. Just need to put food, water, and a set of clothes in it. Otherwise it is ready to go. We have some canning done plus some freeze dried. We could do a couple of weeks on that. The gas after the tank is gone would be the problem.
A smart thing to do even if you're not a prepper!
Absolutely agree with your video. Best way to start prepping is to buy a few extra items when they are on sale. But what you eat and eat what you buy.
I started my emergency food preps on the cheap, so I know that it can be done by most anyone. Here's what I started with:
Beans, rice, spices, salt, sugar, freeze dried coffee, vitamin/mineral suppliments, and tea.
Granted, it isn't pretty and it will get old fast. However, it will get you through- provided that one also considers water purification, and alternative ways to cook it.
One can also hunt, fish, gather various native plants, grow and preserve their own food, and/or barter to suppliment this food source, so it's not as bad as it looks. But, only 'if' you have the skills and a few additional resources, which also are not that expensive.
I do what you do, preparing for the 'what-if' situation. Not necessarily a world economic crash or a nuclear disaster that interrupts shipping/commerce, etc but the what-ifs...storms, illness, loss of income, etc.
All good ideas and I live by them all. When I bought My new truck I made sure it had the over sized fuel tank that gives me an 800 mile range when full. :-)
We're kind of new to prepping (about a year or so), but I'm glad to see that we are probably heading in the right direction with what we're doing. We are learning to have a stock of food and water, but we are also learning how to replenish our food and water in emergency types of situations when things aren't "normal". We are learning about gardening, different preservation methods, foraging... We have a small medical kit started, but we're also learning about herbal medicines and to be watchful about prevention. I'm trying to get my diabetes under better control with diet and exercise so I don't have to rely so heavily on my medications. We have gathered emergency information and important documents into a place where we can just grab them and go if we have to leave quickly, but we REALLY need to be working on being sure that we have the right things in our car and a decent supply of gas. Thanks for the video. :)
I live alone and 3 years ago I broke my leg. Having tined food in the house was a Godsend . Second point , not mentioned by you . There is always a small amount of dirt in storage tanks at a gas station . Sometimes unknown to you , if the tank is running low dirt will suck it up into your tank. So when your tank gets low this dirt will get into your engine. I always buy gas when the tank is showing half empty , for that reason . Third point , make some arrangement for someone you trust to get your money for you. If for any reason it is not possible to collect it yourself , there is nothing worse , running low on cash .
So true. For us, before the earthquake (Christchurch 2010), we'd usually let the tank get down to warning light. After the earthquake - always 1/4 tank. That's enough for us to get town - home - town comfortably.
Great points one thing to add is knowing your local weather and disaster history for example I live in Oklahoma I have seen 2 EF5 tornados so keeping my emergency back ups on a second floor closet is probably a bad idea. Instead I keep them in a central closet in my house or a basement or cellar. For a fire prone are you might keep them in a closet closest to the door, same with a hurricane zone and so on. That way you still have this stuff to use after the event has occurred or you had easy movement in evacuation. Love keeping the gas tank full most people never think of that one.
We were just discussing our pantry today...it really needs to be stocked up and looked at and planned accordingly
I'm glad you talked about eating right and being healthy! Fitness is the best prep. And keeping the tank full should just be common sense. It only takes a few hours for a station to run dry in a panic, and even a lightning storm can shut down the pumps. Back in the 70's Johnny Carson joked about a (non-existent) toilet paper shortage, and people went out and caused one in panic. You just never know what will be a trigger event...
All good advice. For a pantry, I think a lot of people that don't have money should focus on dry goods like noodles, rice, and dry beans. They can lower the grocery bill, and stretch out meals. They don't take up much space and can provide needed calories. I always have some cooked dry beans in the fridge that I add to soups along with some broken spaghetti noodles. Easy and cheaper to buy in bulk.
I especially like the one about staying healthy. How many preppers and homesteaders have I seen that are about 100 lbs overweight!
I keep one 6-gallon jerry can for water for each person in the house, and another for the pets. They get filled if we're expecting bad weather, along with pots and pans in the kitchen, and the bathtub (for flushing toilets).
Excellent points Jaime. As for those who say they can't afford to start with buying a weeks worth of food, they could just buy an extra can or two of veggies, fruits or even canned meat each time they go to the store. Also, they could hit up dollar stores for some extra rations and medical supplies. Wally World is another good place. They have canned veggies for like 49 cents a can (off name brand) and lots of OTC med supplies for 88 cents each. There's many ways people can afford to get started and not break the bank. Keep up the great videos!!!
I tell folks to have a minimum of 72 hours of food and water for each family member and make it stuff that doesn't require cooking (power outage). I also tell them to have candles, flash lights, charged cell phone, and a first aid kit handy. That's the bare minimum. I also emphasize a means of self defense. If everyone had at least that we as a country would be much better off.
Amen, everyone should have at least a month worth of food. To many folks are totally unprepared for anything!
I agree with LandseerNorth - we always keep 10 gallons of Stabilizer gas on hand. As well as we have a kerosene heater for emergencies - so 20 gallons of kerosene as well. A few bottles of lamp oil, spare batteries, a fully charger power pack that can jump start the truck or run some small tool if needed (all the rechargeable anything is also always charged). Extra ammunition too. We have had blizzards here that have knocked out power for a week+ - never want to be in the spot were I have to look at my child and fear him being cold or hungry. Oh another thought - we also have a Patrolman SW-60 (ours is old as the hills) radio handy in the kitchen. It is a sw/am/fm/vhf air-hi/vhf lo/uhf radio that we have found invaluable when power is out and you can't flip on the tv or hit the internet see what is happening around your area.
Single Family fires are the most common disaster. So ensure you have smoke alarms, two ways out of every room and a meeting place that all family members know and practice.
+David Garrison - Excellent advice.
I don't actively prep, but I do have a significant pantry. I could easily eat off what I have in my pantry and freezer for probably a couple of months. That would likely be enough to get me through a short crisis situation and I'm OK with that for now. I like your suggestion about the gas tank. I hadn't thought of that. Makes a lot of sense and I'll do that from now on. Your videos are great--quality and content. Very organized presentation. Professionally done. Thanks!
Great advice Jaime! I have started prepping some...I live in an apartment in a fairly big city. I've got alot of bottled water, a lot of canned food, (beans and such), even bought a small, portable stove, but I haven't canned anything. I want to...so I'll have to revisit your canning videos. Thanks. cate xo
You will love it!
We have been down to one income for a year now and my pantry has helped tremendously. I have been stocking my pantry for years. It wasn't until last summer that I learned about prepping and homesteading. Now we are doing both😉
Great advice, and I really like your pantry shelves ! Thanks for sharing !
Might be able to afford an extra week worth of food but you could probably afford an extra can of food each time you go to the grocery. Slowly building up a pantry is easy and less sticker shock. Once it is established then it become maintaining the levels and good rotation.
We canned enough green beans for the year for the first time I estimate the cost to be half of what it is to buy canned stuff on sale at the store. We are still eating on last years canned tomatoes (pasta/pizza/chili sauce). This year we are looking at making ketchup, juice, straight sauce and paste (possibly). Our carrots were a fail this year and I have a plan for next year. Potatoes were a first time success however not nearly enough. I'm expecting 40-50 lbs total out of the garden. We will freeze some and can the rest.
The initial investment is high with a lot of this stuff but the long run is so much cheaper and healthier. Plus the satisfaction of eating your own grown food. Last night was home raised pork and beef ribs, Last years sweet corn, this years potato (baked). Yeah, yeah, I know, two starches. when a toddler says they want corn you don't really argue that much lol.
There have been a few times here recently that having some extra food in the freezer and pantry (bought on sale in small amounts at a time) has meant that I could get through to the next paycheck. Nothing about my kitchen/pantry/budget is large but small things here and there really help.
Very good advice, as usual.
I've been a prepper for a long time and while what you said didn't really have a teaching moment within your advice it's also good to go back to the original idea of why you became a prepper to start with and you did that for me. Being an avid shooter it's really easy to get caught up in only that side of prepping, and though it's important, I personally believe is less important than the three things that you just covered. Love all of your videos!
Robin, what intelligent & accurate statements to make! Mixed with well-phrased compliments, your thoughts are well-received.
Good to be reminded...great advice, Jaime.
Now we can finally start prepping. Excellent advice on the gas tank. We got stuck in a huge gasoline shortage in Yonkers and that precaution would have saved some trouble! Thanks so much for the great advice and knowledge. I have cut down on my Heineken ;)
+Noble Homestead - You can make up for that with rum. ☠️
Guildbrook Farm | Simple Sustainable Living Bwahaha, sounds like a good plan! XO Love Yas!
Excellent advice, Jamie, thank you! I think I would put a portable water purifier at the top of my list. How long can we live without potable water? Not long, like 5 days. And if you are on foot, you can't carry much bottled water . I have a Sawyer Mini in my BOB right now. I gave my nephew one when he went off to college and he looked at me like I had a screw loose 🙄
On the Pantry you can just decide today that from now on, every trip to the Grocery Store you will buy 1 tin of Something - Tuna, Ham, Soup, Fruit, and/or 1 packet of Something - Dried Soup, Instant Potatoes, Pulses. If you start doing that before very long you have a surfeit of FOOD for use in Emergencies. You don't have to do it all in big shop, adding a little and often builds up surprisingly easily and doesn't have to cost you a fortune. If you're short on space, make it dried rather than tinned. I can store 20 packets of Vegetable Soup that's either 1 pint or 1 Litre in the same space as 6 tins that yield 400 ml each. I'm not looking at Gourmet, (although there are some Dried soups I really like) so much as practicality.
It adds up quick and before you know it you have a week or two of food in reserve.
Guildbrook Farm | Simple Sustainable Living Egg-Zack-Lee!! Could you offer some advice though about how the 'Average Starter Prepper' should go about storing Drinking Water? Long Term plastic bottles leech chemicals into the liquid. Have you advice that doesn't require fancy equipment or Plumbing Expertise? Thank You.
I will add,prepare to defend your food and water against rodents.Our cat disappeared and a year later the varmits showed up,got into my pantry.I was heartbroken as that little extra had been hard to come by.They even chewed thru plastic jugs of water.Glass canning jars were safe and my animal food is in metal cans now.I had to resort to poison,but having a good cat can be important to protecting what you have,not to mention your health.
My two cents: The scenarios you talk about are the ones that most likely will affect most of the population. A couple of #10 cans of dehydrated foods is not expensive ($9.00 to $19.00) and contain 20 to 40 servings in each can. Two cans of chicken flavored bits, two cans of beef flavored bits, two cans of mixed soup vegetables and two to four cans of instant potato flakes and two large boxes of rolled oats. (each can about $10.00 at Walmart and that's about 3 to 4 weeks of survival food storage for just over $100.00).
I live out in the middle of nowhere in ma. We have no grocery store, its 2 towns over. Everyone I know here has a pantry. Sometimes we trade what we have for what we might like.
Of all the prepping checklist items I think you hit the top 3. Good tips.. For food stocks, follow the "buy two" rule and stash one of 'em. Lessens the financial impact and it's pretty surprising how fast you can build a stockpile. Then you can start rotating the items. Like said below, gas can be stockpiled that way too.
Good vid!
I agree with you about starting with basic life emergencies and healthy living, then expand on that.
Great advice. Keep up the good work with the channel.
Good info, especially health prepping. Daily exercise, eating right, minimizing dependance means your health will be there when you need it.
I just started prepping a few weeks ago(I learned to bake bread). The prepper videos I like the most are the ones that have your type of mindset. Where to start, live a healthy life style-which I do, start small and work your way up. I don't own an assault rifle and a cache of hand guns-not that I am opposed. I am starting with bulk basics like rice, beans and flour. If an earthquake happens as I live in SoCal I will be safe for a few weeks. If a SHTF or WROL happens I probably won't make it since I am have little firearms.
+Ruddster6 That's a great place to start. Start small...build slowly
all simple steps to follow,
Great advice! Prepping videos are very valuable. It would be great to see more.
great advice for us new preppers!!!
Great ideas to start with, thank you. Small changes, new habits I want to form.
Sensible tips for someone like me who knows I need to start but doesn't know much about it! Thank you 😊
+carrocena Your welcome!
You have a great channel and yes I do prep and agree with all of your points.
Great video, very practical information that some of us don't consider until we're faced with a difficult situation. I love the idea of never letting your gas tank fall below a half tank. It's something that honestly never crossed my mind until this hurrican Irma sent everyone scrambling to the gas stations in my area days before we were due to have any inclement weather at all. Love your channel!
Yes! I hope this video will get some people to consider doing that going forward :0)
There are ways to do it like if you are low income you can receive food through food banks or check out your local community fridges. My neighborhood has community fridges/pantries all over the city and they each have different things from frozen meat to produce and various grains. The local community puts items in there and it really helps a lot of people. Also try doing things like instead of canned beans getting dried beans, you get more for your buck and can save the rest for later. It doesn't have to be this big food haul but buying things overtime.
Great thoughts, thanks. If you don't have a lot of money, keep a stock of rice and lentils. Those cost close to nothing and will supply you with carbs and protein, just in case...
Absolutely. Did you see our latest video? th-cam.com/video/bciB5xZVGNg/w-d-xo.html
Everyone has got to prep for the basics, great video Jamie! I have all that you mentioned including keeping my gas tank full, that's a great tip which always gets people at the worst of times. I also have two EDC bags, a medium one that goes with me in my car daily and a large one which I've been tweaking for years. In an emergency I can grab either one and and know all is there for most situations. My larger bag has enough for a 72 hour bug out including even personal information with a mirrored twin hard drive backup of all my personal data and a 3rd back up of all my really important documents on a USB KEY in case my house burns and I loose everything. I'm set up where in the event of fire I'm right beside that bag so in seconds I'm out a window with it and at least I have that. I even have a multi pack of R95 charcoal masks in case of some kind of outbreak or toxic issue etc... It wont save your life but stopping 95% of most air and oil based particles might be enough to keep you going until you can get medical treatment. You'd be amazed at how many people have emergency bags but they can't carry them more than a mile! You also be amazed that there are a lot of crappy products so testing everything long term and weeding out all the products that will fail you is a necessity when it needs to be reliable. I do backpacking and I take that system with me to ensure it all works.
Here's some info on r95,n95, n99 masks... www.envirosafetyproducts.com/resources/dust-masks-whats-the-difference.html. You can see that even some smoke partials can be stopped but not all. Also many other partials that are bigger than .3 micros can be stopped. For the few ounces of weight its worth it to me to have.
All good points Jaime! One way to help stock the pantry is to look for shelf stable BOGO deals at the grocery store.
I prep the way you described. Anything can happen at anytime causing a lack of must haves to make it another day.
Every time we empty a gal of milk, the jug gets washed and filled with water from the tap (our water comes from a nearby lake). It can be boiled or add bleach if needed since water stores like this isn't shelf stable.
And I do keep a well stocked pantry and freezer, and a good amount of over the counter meds, just need to get some more advanced items into this such as a suture kit and items for more major health problems
I agree with what you suggested..
Good points Jamie, I never thought about the whole family having the flu and not being able to get to the store.
+Mazakman Ya you usually don't until it happens to you.
Great advice for getting started.
Oh gosh, Yes! I live 45 minutes south of Jacksonville. I got gas way ahead of Matthew last year, we were out for weeks down here. People were literally following the gas trucks.
I prep and my husband was apart of that group of folks who were laid off. I didn't have to spend as much on groceries due to our stockpile. Prepping has some really good practical uses that don't always mean "it's the end of the world" as some people would think. When the rona hit I was able to switch from going every 2 weeks to the grocery store to once a month. And if I wanted to really push it I could go every month and a half because of prepping.
I like your videos. I like your approach to the prepper side. I have 21 solar panels, the garage is grid tied. Everybody wants me to take the housed off grid. I will move 1-2 years, where I can start a garden.
Tfs I always have kept my cupboards stocked with food but we are food people we wouldn't make it without our food lol seriously I always have because our whole family has always done it my mom,granny, aunts, uncles and so has my hubbies family we have a small chest freezer that I keep stocked up too. My suggestion to people is always make sure your phone is fully charged. Thanks again for all your info on prepping
Yes I agree 100%. God Bless Joe