Before COVID-19, the mainstream media marginalized the prepping community. People who stocked up on food and gear were seen as a little weird.
But thanks to the pandemic, global economic disruption, and war in the last two and a half years, things have changed. Now, most people are grabbing an extra tin of soup when they go to the store.
The trouble with prepping is that many people simply don’t know how to approach it. And many aren’t entirely sure what they are prepping for. The type of preparedness you engage in depends considerably on the threats you see coming down the pike.
For instance, if you are preparing for extreme weather events, it makes sense to stock up on some extra food and invest in solar panels. But if you’re expecting a meteor impact, strategies like that don’t add up.
In this post, we take a look at some smart prepper rules. Here’s what you should be doing to make sure you’re ready if things go wrong in the future.
Avoid Tunnel Vision
Try as they might, preppers often find it impossible to predict what’s coming down the pike. While it might seem completely obvious that the world is heading in one direction, it often takes a detour and goes in another.
That’s why it’s important not to have tunnel vision. The threats that you face are likely quite mundane and will probably change with each passing year. Therefore, as a prepper, you should adopt a general approach firm, get the basics right, and then drill down into the specifics of each potential threat that you might face.
Follow The Data
While emotions can run high in the prepping community, it’s critical not to let yourself be ruled by them. You might feel scared at times, but that doesn’t mean that your fears are going to come to pass.
The trick here is to follow the data. React to what science and reason say, and use your best guess for what will happen. In some situations, you will need to choose between the better of two bad options. Don’t be afraid to compromise in your preparedness. Some action is better than none.
Get A Mix Of Supplies And Skills
It’s hard for preppers to know which disasters they will fall prey to. The world in the aftermath of a flood will look very different from one after a nuclear strike.
Because of this, preppers need to ensure that they cover all bases. They should check that they have a suitable mix of supplies and skills to give them the best chance of surviving any eventuality.
There is no way to fully prepare for all outcomes in advance. There will always be some sort of improvisation. However, the goal of prepping is to maximize your chances of survival, not become a master in all areas. If things really do go wrong, you’ll be on an accelerated learning program anyway.
Remember That Your Can’t Prepare 100 Percent For All Scenarios
Preppers know most of the risks that they face. Famine, power outages, bush fires, nuclear strikes, pandemics, conventional war, flooding, and volcanic eruptions. However, because they are different in nature, preparing for one doesn’t necessarily mean that you are protecting yourself against others.
In addition to these risks, though, there are other “black swan” events that could occur. By definition, these are unknown, even theoretically, so specific preparedness is impossible.
As a prepper, you should be frank with yourself about this reality. There will be certain situations, or combinations of situations, that you simply cannot account for.
Avoid The Temptation To Memorize Lists Or Instructions
Learning a list of instructions for what to do if a fire breaks out in your office building makes sense. After all, it’s an isolated, contained event and the rest of society is relatively chaos-free.
However, if there is a more generalized disaster, then that approach isn’t possible. In many situations, no help will be coming. That’s why it’s critical to get a range of equipment for vendors, like Tacticalbrute, so you can adapt on the fly. You simply won’t know what’s coming down the pike, or what’s expected of you.
Leverage The 80-20 Rule
The 80-20 rule is something that legendary economist Vilfredo Pareto developed in the nineteenth century. It’s the idea that 80 percent of the benefits you get from doing anything come from 20 percent of your effort. It’s a general rule in economics about how the system works,
You should put this concept into practice in your own life. You won’t be able to perfectly protect yourself from every threat, but you shouldn’t try. Instead, you should chase the low-hanging fruit first and then only do the difficult things if absolutely necessary.
Don’t Let Prepping Dominate Your Life
When things look like they might go bad, it can be tempting to let prepping dominate your life. Stories of climate chaos or nuclear war are enough to make anyone feel perpetually fearful.
But ultimately, life is there for living. Yes, spending reasonable amounts of money, time, and effort on prepping. But don’t make it your sole focus unless you have good reason to believe that a threat is imminent. Instead, enjoy the time that you have and then react should things go wrong.
Be Proud Of What You’re Doing
Unfortunately, there is still some stigma around prepping. It makes people feel uncomfortable and causes them to lash out. That’s why it is so important to take pride in what you’re doing. You’re taking the responsible step to protect your family while others are failing to act, continuing with their lives as normal. That’s not you, and nor do you want it to be.
Have Fun Doing It
Lastly, make sure that you have fun while prepping. It can be interesting to figure out how you might survive if the rest of society failed. What would you do? How would you grow food? Where would you get your energy from? These are all interesting questions and the answers aren’t always obvious.