Prepping needs – TheDailyChristian

Did you know getting good at chess would improve your prepping abilities?

Don’t worry, I’m not going to ask you to learn how to play chess.

In fact, I don’t even know the rules of that game!

But I do know that it requires a lot of strategic thinking.

And that professional chess players can quickly think of 15 or 20 moves ahead in each move.

This is exactly what is needed for prepping.

Being prepared means more than just stocking up on food and weapons.

It means having a comprehensive plan in place that covers a wide range of scenarios and contingencies.

Without a plan, we risk being caught unaware and unable to respond effectively to emergencies.

But planning for emergencies is not easy.

There is always something different to prepare for.

Earthquakes…

Tornados…

Power Outages…

One can’t ever account for everything.

Sometimes we don’t even know what we are preparing for.

Take the chemical spill in Ohio, for example.

How could the residents see this coming?

And how could they even prepare for it?

Well, the truth is, with a proper planning system, you can prepare for anything.

You’ll see how in a minute.

First, you need to know:

Why Planning Is So Important.

Imagine you lived in an area that is prone to hurricanes.

You’ve stocked up on food and water…

You have a generator…

…and you’ve secured your house as best you can.

You feel confident that you are prepared for the next big storm.

But suddenly, a huge storm hits.

One that is bigger than any other storm your area has seen.

It completely destroys your preparations and your house is not safe anymore.

You have to bug out.

But the issue is, it happened on a school day. And your children still haven’t gotten back from school.

How will you let them know where to meet?

Your smartphone is not working because the power grid stopped working.

It’s a disaster!

Well, this is where foresight comes in handy.

If you had agreed on a meeting place in case your preparations didn’t work, then this would have been solved.

Getting good at planning means preparing for things that most people would not even think about.

Of course, this was a far-fetched scenario…

But it goes to show…

A proper plan can help you and your family overcome even the craziest catastrophe.

That’s why I’ll show you simple ways to become good at this skill.

And give you ideas on how to practice your planning abilities so that you are always ready.

Find Your Commitment Level

Before you start working on your planning skills, there is something that you have to figure out first…

You need to assess your level of commitment.

The reason this is so important is that developing this skill is not something easy.

You will not become good at it overnight.

Just like professional chess players work very hard to improve their skills, you will have to go over some roadblocks.

If you are aware of your commitment level before you even start, however, you will be in a much better position to work through these roadblocks.

Before you read the rest of the article, ask yourself these questions:

How much time and effort are you willing to invest in planning for emergencies?

If improving your planning skills gets too hard, would you continue working on them?

What challenges are you willing to face?

Take your time and honestly answer these questions.

This way, you can set realistic goals for yourself and ensure that you don’t overcommit or burn out.

How To Improve Your Planning Skills

Once you’ve figured out your commitment level, it is finally time to improve your planning abilities.

When it comes to planning for emergencies, there are some key elements that every prepping plan should include.

These elements include risk assessment, threat analysis, resource inventory, and contingency planning.

Let’s explore each of these elements in more detail:

Risk assessment.

This is the process of identifying potential risks and hazards that could affect you and your loved ones.

This includes natural disasters, economic collapse, civil unrest, and other potential emergencies.

You can even include risks that are not your plan.

Neglecting to prepare for something is also a risk.

Consider everything that could go wrong.

Threat analysis.

This is where you evaluate the risks.

Conduct a threat analysis to evaluate:

The likelihood of each threat.
The potential impact of each threat.

This will help you prioritize your planning efforts and allocate resources.

Resource inventory.

A resource inventory involves taking stock of the resources you have on hand and identifying any gaps in your preparedness.

This includes:

Food,
Water,
Medication
Weapons and ammunition
Other essential items.

Contingency planning.

Contingency planning involves developing a plan B in case your primary plan fails (Remember the storm example?).

This can include backup evacuation routes, secondary locations for shelter, or contingency supply sources.

By including these key elements in your prepping plan, you can be better prepared for a wide range of emergencies and increase your probability of survival.

Tips That Will Make This Easier

If you’ve read this far, you have probably realized that this will take some work.

But, remember, you are committed.

Which means that you are willing to do whatever it takes to become better at planning.

However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t use simple advice that will make this journey easier.

Start small.

If you are not an experienced prepper, it is easy to become overwhelmed.

Start with a simple plan for a specific scenario, such as a short power outage.

This will help you build confidence and develop your planning skills.

Once you feel ready, move on to harder challenges, such as natural disasters.

Set goals.

Determine what you want to achieve with your prepping plan.

And set realistic, measurable goals to help you stay motivated and on track.

Involve your family.

Doing everything alone is tough. And definitely not fun.

If you involve your whole family in the prepping process, everything will proceed much smoother.

Plus, everyone is going to be on the same page so they will know what to do in emergencies.

Stay organized.

Keep your prepping plan and items organized and easily accessible so you can quickly respond to emergencies.

You can use checklists, journal entries, or your preferred way of taking notes.

Continuously review and update your plan.

The risks we face are constantly changing.

So it’s important to regularly review and update your prepping plan to ensure that it remains effective and relevant.

Planning is a crucial part of prepping.

And can make a huge difference in ensuring your family’s safety.

By developing this skill, you will be in a much better position to survive any emergency.

As a Prepper, you will store many things in case of an emergency – first aid, power, gas, tools, and water. However, shelf-stable food storage is by far one of the most important pieces of the puzzle. For reasons that we will outline below, Freeze Dried food is the Best Survival Food choice for Preppers and others thinking of long-term storage.

The types of Prepper food that you have stored can make all the difference in a survival scenario. There are a number of different benefits that come from storing the right foods. Aside from not having to leave your home and face the disaster to eat, the right foods can provide your family with a level of comfort and security for many years.

When analyzing the best food storage options for Preppers consider the following shelf life for various long-term food storage:

Canned food (low acid) – 2 to 5-year shelf life (per USDA)
Canned food (high acid) – 1.5 to 2-year shelf life (per USDA)
Dehydrated food – up to 15-year shelf life
Freeze-dried food – up to 30-year shelf life

While canned goods are easy to pick up at the grocery store and stock in your cabinet, for true Prepping needs, canned goods are not good enough.

Yes, canned goods can last way longer than the recommended date, but I would much rather invest in high-quality food that will last for up to 30 years myself! Check out why Freeze Fried food is superior to Canned Food below!

The canning process takes foods in a fresh state and preserves them in an, often, salty brine and a vacuum-sealed environment that is void of oxygen. It is in this state that bacteria are starved of oxygen and cannot grow rapidly. This makes the food last longer.

Most canned foods can last for a few years. There are even lengths behind the best by the date that canned goods can last. This makes them a great option for long-term food storage. Canned foods can also be found at deep discounts and you can often buy 10 canned food items for less than $10.

You can find most anything canned! Some of the best options for prepping and long-term food storage are things like canned meats, beans, vegetables, fruits, soups, and sauces.

The basic process of freeze-drying starts with taking fresh or cooked foods and cooling them to a temperature of -40 degrees Fahrenheit. These foods are then subjected to a powerful vacuum that surrounds the food. Then, as the food is slowly and carefully warmed the ice turns to vapor and is removed.

This process is more thorough than canning and creates a product that can be packed with a desiccate to last for as much as 30 years.

The types of foods that freeze-dry well are a combination of fresh and cooked foods. Freeze-dried meats do well, as do fresh foods. They retain much of their texture and flavor, which is an added bonus.

While many people will echo the fact that freeze-dried food comes with that incredible shelf life, there are a tremendous amount of benefits outside of just being able to store freeze-dried foods for a couple of decades, in most cases. Let’s have a look at some of those overwhelming benefits.

TEXTURE AND TASTE OF FREEZE-DRIED FOODS

Canned goods were responsible for stocking peoples’ pantries all over the world! They made it so that everyone could have carrots, asparagus, cream of mushroom soup, and beef stew whenever they wanted. However, because of the deterioration and cooking of vegetables required, they also turned a whole generation off to vegetables. The idea was that these foods were mushy and flavorless.

Fresh fruits and vegetables that are freeze-dried maintain much of their taste and keep a crunchy texture in the dried state. This makes the fruits and vegetables great little snacks. When rehydrated they still look like vegetables and taste like them as well.

NUTRITION

The freeze-drying process assures that these foods maintain much more of their nutrient profile than foods that are canned and stored in a brine. These vitamins and minerals will make an enormous difference in a survival situation.

LESS ROTATION COMPARED TO CANNED GOODS

While less acidic canned goods can last up to 5 years past the best by date, freeze-dried foods can last up to 30 years if stored in the right conditions. This means you do not have to concern yourself with rotation as much as you do with canned goods. Maybe 1-2 rotations in your lifetime – How crazy is that?!

SPACE AND WEIGHT

One of the biggest benefits of freeze-dried foods is that they take up so little space and weigh next to nothing because all the moisture has been removed from them. This means you can get really creative about storage and the places you can shove a little extra.

BUILDING MEALS USING FREEZE DRIED FOOD

You can combine freeze-dried foods to create meals and store these foods for quick solutions that just require hot water. Think of it as making your own backpacking meals. These mixes of ingredients can be stored in ball jars and used to make quick meals in a hurry or in a disaster.

You will be able to fill your pantry quickly, easily, and affordably with canned foods. That being said, freeze-dried foods are the superior product for Preppers and long-term storage, and you should consider incorporating them as the foundation of your emergency food storage plan!

TheDailyChristian

Tag: Prepping needs

The Underrated Chess Skill That Will Make You A Better Prepper