25 Days of Preparedness
I have decided to do this post simply because I feel a great majority of people are not prepared and need to do more to be ready for different situations that may arise. I love to express my opinion on this matter and share posts that I hope make you think more deeply and evaluate the current situation in your own home. I have the mindset that if something serious were to happen- natural disaster, famine, war, etc., I am not counting on anyone to come save me and would rather have an upper hand by having essential items to survive. I hope you enjoy this post, think more critically, and hopefully get some ideas for your home! Being a “prepper” does not make you crazy or paranoid! Your home and family are your responsibility to provide for and protect! If you are interested in any of these items, the links are the red and green boxes.
Day 1: Storing Water
I store water in 5-gallon blue plastic containers. I bought these from Walmart. Many times, the city has shut off our water for repairs, there have been boil alerts, or if you live somewhere that frequently has natural disasters, water is a MUST have. A person can only survive 3 days without water! I store 30 gallons in my basement at all times for 2 people.
Day 2: Treating Water
These tablets are made by Potable Aqua, and they are chlorine dioxide tablets for water purification. 30 Tablets are $18.95 on Amazon. If the water you need to drink to survive is questionable, these tablets will kill bacteria and viruses that may be present. While these are great for emergency situations, I think they are also useful for those who enjoy traveling, hiking, backpacking, or camping. Being lightweight and compact, these are also great for bug out bags.
Day 3: Filtering Water
I bought a LifeStraw which is a very lightweight, portable water filter. It is available on Amazon for $12.99. It uses a 5-stage filter to remove any harmful substances that may be found in the water supply. The filter lasts for 1,000 gallons. This is a great emergency item to have on hand to ensure that the water you are drinking is safe. I have this item included in my bug out bag, but it is also useful for traveling, camping, and hiking!
Day 4: Storing Canned Food
If you want to stockpile canned goods, you are going to need an area to store it and something to put the cans on. It is preferable to store your goods somewhere cool and dark. These metal shelves are sturdy, easy to put together, and I have had no problems with them holding my many canned foods. For the price, I am pleased with the quality.
Day 5: Storing Buckets of Food for Long Term
I bought 5-gallon food grade buckets to store my dry goods in for long term storage. I got these from Lowes, and I think they are nice quality and thick. Regardless of where you decide to get the container, Buckets are a great way to stockpile foods, are easy to stack, keep organized, and keep water or pests out.
Day 6: Mylar Bags
I bought 5-gallon mylar bags off of amazon for storing my dry goods in my buckets for long term storage. I place the bag in the bucket, fill it with food, and place the appropriate size oxygen absorber inside. I seal my bags with a hair straightener. I store white rice, oats, pasta, and dry beans this way.
Day 7: Bulk Dry Goods
When I buy my bulk dry goods, I usually buy from amazon or Gordon food service. Regardless of where you choose to buy, these are some of the items I am always stocked up on that have a long shelf life and are very versatile to make many different meals.
Flour
Corn Meal
Rice
Pasta
Beans
Dried Fruit
Freeze Dried Meat
Powdered Milk/Eggs
Baking supplies/seasonings/spices
Day 8: Learn to Grow Food from Seed/ Water Bath Can
I think gardening and learning how to grow your own food from seed is an important skill to know! It is fun and a great way to save you money. Water bath canning is very easy once you get the hang of it and is a great way to preserve fruits, jellies, salsas, and tomato products. Start small and learn the skills, you will feel confident knowing you grew something from seed and can preserve it! The exact water bath canner, and heirloom seeds I had great success with last year are below!
Day 9: Buy a Vacuum Sealer
I highly recommend getting a vacuum sealer. This is a great way to keep meats and garden vegetables frozen for a longer time without getting freezer burn. It is also a great way to save money. I will stock up on chicken breasts or ground beef when there is a great sale price or buy in bulk from a local butcher and freeze in smaller quantities. I bought my vacuum sealer off amazon along with the freezer bags. These are good quality bags for a great price!
Day 10: Buy a Food Dehydrator
Buying a food dehydrator is a great way to make your own healthy snacks, to be frugal and save money when you buy and preserve when items are on sale, and is a great way to build up a stockpile of dehydrated items in jars. Some of my favorite things to dehydrate are bananas, apples, peaches, tomatoes, mushrooms, bell peppers, and garden herbs. I love to pack dehydrated fruit as a snack when I travel!
Day 11: Flashlights
I keep a flashlight in both my vehicle and my home. The power goes out in our home more often than I would like, so having a good quality flashlight has come in handy many times. If you are traveling and your vehicle breaks down a flashlight is great for signaling at night to attract attention. The flashlight I have is linked below. For the price I am pleased with the quality and like the fact it is zoomable and very bright. Runs on 4 AA batteries.
Day 12: Lantern
I have a dimmable LED lantern that runs on D batteries. This is great to light up an entire room when the power is out. Having a lantern makes everyday tasks much easier rather than fumbling around in the dark. I still need light to prepare a meal, eat, read, daily hygiene, etc. This is the lantern I have linked below.
Day 13: Extra Batteries
Make sure you are storing extra batteries for all your devices that require them. Flashlights, radios, lanterns, TV remotes, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, etc.… It is cheaper to buy in bulk so save money and stock up!
Day 14: Tealight Candles
Tealight candles are a great way to provide light to a small area such as the bathroom when the power is out. They can also be used to assist in starting a fire. I keep a small 8hr tea light candle in my bug out backpack. If needed, they can also be used in emergency cooking, heating, and boiling water.
Day 15: Long Burning Emergency Candle in Mason Jar
This candle is great if the power will be out for a while and is super easy to make. A can of Crisco made 2 candles for me. You will need 48 oz Crisco, 2 pillar candles, 2-quart size canning jars. Melt the Crisco down over low heat on the stove, cut pillar candles to correct height and place inside the jars, and pour the melted Crisco inside, and make a well around the candle. And you're done! 2 long burning emergency candles for cheap!
Day 16: Homemade Fire Starter and Storing Extra Matches
This fire starter is super simple to make with things you already have laying around the house. Empty toilet paper tube, dryer lint, and candle wax. Perfect for helping to start a campfire. Make sure you have plenty of extra matches for starting fires, lighting candles, and for emergencies. Store some in your bug out bag!
Day 17: Working Smoke Detectors/Fire Extinguishers/ Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Make sure you have recently checked the batteries in your smoke alarms and that they are operable so they will alert you, especially if you are asleep. I keep two fire extinguishers in our home, one near the kitchen and one near the furnace. I also own a carbon monoxide detector!
Day 18: Ferro Rod Fire Starter
I have a ferro rod fire starter as an additional way to start a fire if needed. This rod is lightweight, easy to use, and I keep it in my bug out bag. I bought it off of amazon for $16.00. Having multiple ways to start a fire is important for warmth and light, cooking food, purifying water, and signaling!
Day 19: Stock up on Hygiene/First Aid
Supplies
I always buy extra and stockpile when I can get a good deal on bars of soap, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, floss, toothbrushes, and toilet paper. I always keep the basic first aid supplies on hand such as bandages, gauze, ointments and creams, disinfectants, etc. I consider these items to be important as well! They are things I use every day so don’t forget about them in your preps!
Day 20: General Knowledge on CPR, Stopping a bleed, Own a Trauma Kit
As someone who used to work in law enforcement, I feel I have a good general knowledge on these topics as I have taken classes on them. If you don't know CPR, stopping a bleed and wound packing I definitely recommend taking a class on it or at the very least watching some informational videos on how to do these things. In my trauma kit I keep safety glasses, emergency blanket, Israeli bandage, tourniquet, quick clot, medical tape, compressed gauze, chest seals, medical gloves and tape, and trauma shears. Just some items to consider!
Day 21:Winter Items
Winter is here! I always keep extra pairs of heavy-duty gloves and hats, both at home and in my vehicle. I keep a warm blanket in my vehicle as well. Make sure you have a good ice scraper, jumper cables, air compressor, mini snow shovel, etc.! Now is a good time to inventory what items you have and what you may need. You don’t want to be stranded in a winter snowstorm!
Day 22: Generator
I highly recommend looking into getting a generator for your home. With cold weather, wind chills, possible power outages, keeping a freezer full of meat cold in the summertime, etc. I don’t have any specific recommendation to offer. I have a generator that runs on both gasoline and propane. Generators come in varying sizes with different outputs and some can power a whole house. There are even solar generators. Look into all the different options out there and determine what is best for you and your home/budget. A generator is a must have in my opinion!
Day 23: Multi-Tool
I have a stainless steel multi-tool that is foldable and has 21 different functions. I keep this in my bug out bag. There are so many different sizes and options for multitools. Some are smaller and perfect for everyday carry in your pocket. Regardless of what you choose to buy, a multi-tool is a great preparedness item with many tools and functions right at your fingertips.
Day 24: Knives
I will list two knives that I have, obviously there are so many options out there. One for every day carry and one for survival situations. My everyday carry knife is the SOG Instinct Mini. It is a little under 5 inches long, has a sheath and is easily concealable. My knife I have for my bug out bag is Gerber Survival Prodigy with serrated edge. This knife is a little under 10 inches and comes with a Molle Sheath. You should consider getting knives for self-defense, food processing, shelter building, first-aid, etc.
Day 25: Guns and Self-Defense
I think I saved the best for last! At the BARE MINIMUM I would get a small concealable handgun for everyday carry. My CCW pistol is a Smith and Wesson Shield. I think the more guns and ammunition the better, but there is much anti-gun sentiment that exists in the world today. Practice shooting, and carry a concealed weapon. Obviously I don't want to ever have to use it, but I have it there if I need to save my life. You do not know when you will be placed in a life threatening situation. Don’t depend on someone else to get there to save you.
I hope you enjoyed the read! This was fun for me to put together during the 25 days of December!
