Make Yourself More Self Sufficient: 7 Skills to Learn & 4 Bad Habits To Ditch

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In the modern world, becoming ‘self-sufficient’ typically implies successfully finding employment that allows you to acquire your own place to live, transportation, etc., effectively severing your dependency on and financial ties to your parents. By this commonly accepted definition, a 23-year-old accounting apprentice able to support himself financially would be considered self-sufficient.

However, taking a closer look at his life we find that he really hasn’t acquired any useful skills for, well, living. After work, he spends most of his free time playing video games. He typically eats frozen pizza or orders in, having never taken the time to learn to cook. If anything in his house breaks or stops working, he calls a repair person, having little to no knowledge himself of how the items he depends on daily actually work.

Perhaps by society’s definition this young man is self-sufficient, but not by ours.

Consider for a second if all the conveniences and luxuries you’ve come not only to enjoy, but also depend upon in your life, suddenly ceased to exist? What would you do? Would you have the skills to meet your basic needs such as food, water and shelter? Would you be physically fit enough to endure a long-term scenario – possibly even forever – without these modern miracles?

If you’re uncertain about any of the above, the bad news is you are not yet self-sufficient, but the good news is that making yourself more self sufficient is easier than you think and can actually improve the quality of your life right now.

There are two steps you need to take in becoming self-sufficient: learning new, productive habits; and dropping old, harmful habits. This article will take you through both and provide you with the information you need to teach yourself how to be self-sufficient.

Learning New, Productive Habits

While the multitude of modern conveniences available affords us the luxury of not having to learn every little skill required to get through our daily lives, there are certain skills that you should nevertheless have the ability to perform. These skills, while seemingly time-consuming in today’s society, become essential and life-saving in a scenario where modern conveniences cease to be an option.

The essential skills you will want to learn and master are as follows: fixing and repairing; gardening; cooking; first aid; repurposing; thriftiness; and fitness.

Fixing and Repairing

We’ve become so accustomed to the ease of availability of consumer goods that instead of focusing on repairing old or broken items, we simply throw them away and buy new ones. Learning how to repair everyday items will not only increase your self-sufficiency, but also help you save money and conserve resources.

To start, take a look online where you will find an infinite amount of resources dedicated to teaching Do-It-Yourself (DIY) fixes. Additionally, you can spend time studying an item to discover how it works, which will help you to decipher what may be wrong should it stop working properly. We recommend you stock up on glue, duct tape, a quality sewing kit, and start experimenting!

Here are some common fixes and repairs you can learn to get started:

Zipper Repair

Very handy for tents, packs and clothing. Typically, if the zipper coils are no longer catching properly, the slider may simply need an adjustment. To adjust, zip open as far as possible, fit a small block of wood with a notch carved into it over the arch, and then tap it gently with a hammer to push the sliders together. A few taps will usually do it – be careful not to go too far. You can also use pliers to gently reshape the slider, as seen in this video:

Sewing Broken Backpack Straps

To repair a broken backpack strap, sew three parallel lines of small, tight stitches across the width of the strap and then overlay those with two lines, making an ‘X’ in the same small stitching. This is called a “Box X” pattern and it creates a very strong seam. The videos below show both the concept of the “Box X” stitch, as well as how to perform basic stitches by hand.

Learning how to sew a seam by hand will enable you to repair your garments and gear, which is especially important when resources are limited.

Waterproofing Your Clothing

We recommend checking out this great article discussing four ways to waterproof your clothing by homesteading blog Living Green and Frugally. Being able to waterproof your clothing and shelter with both manmade and natural materials is an invaluable skill.

Knife Repair and Maintenance

To keep your knife in tip-top condition, learn the basics of replacing the handle and properly sharpening the blade.

Gardening

This can be a tough one to practice if you don’t have acres of land to cultivate, but there are ways you can learn and develop the basic skills of keeping plants alive and yielding healthy harvests on a small scale.

Seeds

Try to get heirloom seeds to start with and begin saving your seeds to ensure an endless supply. Seeds should be taken from ripe vegetables and then rinsed and set on a glass plate to dry – don’t use paper towel as the seeds will stick to it. Ensure the temperature stays below 95℉ and keep the seeds away from sunlight.

To dry the seeds evenly, make sure to stir them twice a day and gently separate any clumps. If you want some additional information on saving seeds for specific varieties of plants, check out Beginner’s Guide to Seed Saving from Rodale’s Organic Life.

Location, Soil and Water

When selecting your seeds, make sure to choose plant varieties that will grow well in your particular climate as well as your soil conditions.

To ensure a supply of nutrient-rich soil for next year’s harvest, compost foliage at the very end of the growing season – if you’re just starting out, check with your local municipal waste facility for composted soil from yard clippings.

An easy, and free, source of water for your garden is rainwater, which can be collected in specially built barrels; you can either purchase these barrels or make them yourself, however, for DIY barrels just ensure the container you’re using didn’t previously contain any oils or other harmful chemicals.

Tending and Harvesting

There are some plants, such as tomatoes, that are self-pollinating while others will need the help of insects or a gardener to encourage pollination. The flower of the plant will be the site of the vegetable growth, so ensure to continually check leaves for the presence of fungus or pests.

When a vegetable reaches its full size and color, it is ready for harvesting. While your first few harvests may not be ideal, keep in mind that it is a learned skill and practice makes perfect. Check out this helpful resource for determining when is the best time to harvest for various plants.

If you are lucky enough to have a bountiful harvest producing more than you can consume, you’ll be thankful you learnt some basic preservation skills so that the food can be stored and used later. Typically, most vegetables and fruits can be canned (you can even get creative with preserves, sauces and stews) or alternatively you can use a dehydrator for preserving fruits and berries and making your own energy-rich snacks.

Title	Key Features
Beginner’s Illustrated Guide to Gardening: Techniques to Help You Get Started	Simple text and photos provide step by step instruction from breaking ground through harvesting Learn how to read plant tags, seed packets, and zone maps to choose the best plant varieties for your climate Also covers gardening tools, lawn care basics, container gardens, and more
The Ultimate Gardening Book: 5 Gardening Books in 1	Teaches container, vertical, and urban gardening techniques perfect for small spaces Complete guide to starting straw bale or square foot gardens for vegetables Rain collection, compost, and fertilizer tips for maintaining your garden
All New Square Foot Gardening, Second Edition: The Revolutionary Way to Grow More In Less Space	An in-depth guide that includes money and time saving tips Learn how to make planting mix to provide the right nutrients to your plants Square foot method works well in small and large scale gardens

Cooking

Cooking from scratch is the best way to ensure your meals are healthy and free of any preservatives or artificial ingredients prevalent in processed and pre-cooked foods. The best way to learn to cook from scratch is to simply roll up your sleeves and try! The Science of Good Cooking is a great book to experiment with as it explains each step of the recipe and why the desired result was produced.

The best cookware to learn to cook with is cast iron cookware as it can be used on a stovetop, in an oven, or even over an outdoor fire. Become familiar with the use and care of cast iron cookware and make sure to take it outside every now and again to practice preparing meals over an open fire. For more information on building an outdoor fire, check out Survival Topic’s article on building a Dakota Fire Hole.

Additionally, you should learn and practice several different methods for building a fire so that you aren’t limited to certain conditions or available resources – fire building is a vital skill that goes hand-in-hand with self-sufficient cooking. We wrote a great article detailing six ways you can start a fire without matches, which you can read here.

Once you’ve got the basics of cooking and fire-building down pat, try experimenting with more challenging skills such as making your own cheese or cider, or learning to dress different types of game and fish. By developing a solid skill set, you will have confidence in any situation and be able to prepare a self-sufficient meal with whatever happens to be available.

First Aid

Achieving your CPR certification is a great step towards self-sufficiency. Having the knowledge of what to do in the first moments of any emergency is vital and will help you to remain calm and successfully administer care.

In the event an injured person needs to be moved, you will want to be familiar with several different carry options. The option you choose will depend on your own strength, the size of the victim and the extent of their injuries, the distance that needs to be traveled, and how many others are available to provide help. The most common carry options employed by rescue teams are as follows:

Firefighter carry
One person lift
Pack strap carry
Ankle or shoulder drag
Two person carry
Four person carry
Equipment assisted carry – build a sled or gurney using two sturdy bars secured with rope and cloth
Chair carry

Having a reliable first aid kit is another essential part of being prepared. For information on picking out or building your own first aid kit, you can check out our in-depth article HERE.

Repurposing

Repurposing is a creative means to turn the items you have into the items you need. The ability to brainstorm alternative uses for different objects is extremely valuable in a survival situation. Some ideas include making cookers from scraps, turning soda tabs into fishhooks, using garbage bags as windbreakers, and making skis into a bow. We go into detail on repurposing common items while prepping in this article on “Prepping For Pennies”, as well as a bunch of other ideas.

Thriftiness

The ability to meet your daily needs on any budget can go a long way towards self-sufficient living. To increase your thriftiness, start by tracking and examining your spending and then look for ways where you can cut back. The following are several ideas on how to cut spending and make your current resources go further:

Monitor your heating / cooling – even a few degrees can make a difference in your energy bill
Buy food in bulk – freeze or can excess perishables
Perform your own repairs and maintenance
Repurpose items you already have, trade in used goods, shop consignment and garage sales
Make your own soaps and detergents – not only is this cheaper, but also better for you
Consider splitting the cost of garbage collection or seasonal lawn care equipment with a neighbor

Fitness

Everyone’s favorite New Year’s resolution – get in shape. But fitness has a much greater impact on your health and overall well-being than simply making you look better. To maximize your fitness training, consider a mix of cardio, strength training and martial arts.

Cardio is essential for maintaining a healthy heart and endurance. To build your endurance, gradually increase your activity level over time. A variety of activities provide cardio exercise including running, swimming, movement classes, etc. Choose an activity that you enjoy to ensure you stay interested and motivated.

Strength training will build your muscles and keep you fit. Work towards building strength in areas such as climbing, lifting, carrying a heavy pack over long distances, and rescue swimming. A well-rounded system that works a variety of muscle groups will serve you better than just straight lifting.

Martial arts are not only beneficial for overall fitness, but also help in building self-discipline and self-defense skills.

If you’re having trouble finding time to be active, start doing more productive chores yourself, such as mowing the lawn, washing the car, chopping wood, and repairing and maintaining your home. By performing these activities yourself, you’ll be able to stay in shape and be productive at the same time.

Dropping Old, Harmful Habits

There are four habits common to many people that will impede their ability to become self-sufficient: addictions; poor diet; low activity level; and a negative attitude.

Addictions

Chemical dependence on a substance will limit your self-sufficiency efforts and your chances of survival will be weakened as chemical dependency clouds thinking and can have detrimental effects on your health.

If you are a smoker, try quitting cold turkey or with the help of medications, such as Chantix. You could also take a gradual approach by setting a schedule limiting the amount you smoke each week until you can give it up entirely. E-cigs have also become a popular way to quit recently, but they still contain nicotine and the FDA has yet to provide any conclusive evidence as to their long-term health effects.

If you have an addiction to drugs or alcohol, consider seeking out a local AA group for support and help in beating your addiction. A dependence on alcohol or drugs (legal or otherwise) affects your physical and emotional health; learning to cope with intense situations without chemical intervention will lead to a healthier, more self-sufficient you.

Poor Diet

As the saying goes, ‘garbage in, garbage out.’ Your body is a machine and its performance, much like a sports car, depends on the type of fuel (food) you put in it. Overeating and poor nutrition limit your potential and have a negative impact on your overall health and well-being.

Seek out foods that pack the nutrients your body needs to thrive and learn to cook meals with them you will enjoy; you can even grow your own healthy ingredients using the gardening skills discussed in the previous section. When shopping for groceries, take the time to thoroughly examine nutrition labels and stick to foods that have natural ingredients.

Low Activity Level

In today’s modern society there are myriad temptations that encourage a sedentary life including the infinite entertainment options available on TV and online. While it would be almost impossible to banish these technologies completely, do try to balance your downtime with activity.

Strength and endurance play a vital role in self-sufficiency and once achieved, they can only be sustained through maintenance. If you are just beginning, search out some low-impact activities suitable for your fitness level and gradually work your way up to more advanced training.

Negative Attitude

Sometimes your biggest hurdle can be your own mind. When in a survival situation, a negative attitude will hinder your ability to think on your feet and make effective decisions. To develop a better attitude, try looking for optimistic approaches to situations, expressing gratitude on a regular basis, and using meditation as a means to inspire positive thinking.

Conclusion

With all the modern conveniences and luxuries we’ve come to depend on in modern society, the thought of becoming self-sufficient can seem overwhelming – but it doesn’t have to be. Start gradually by choosing one area to begin with and work your way up. A great way to keep yourself motivated is to set goals and track your progress as well as to include others in your training and trade skills. When it comes to being self-sufficient, the most important tool you can have is your brain; get the knowledge you need now so that when disaster strikes, you’ll be ready.

Always remember – chance favors the well-prepared.

Your Thoughts

What is the one skill you think everyone should learn? Have you recently taken steps toward self-sufficiency? How do you overcome intimidation and find motivation to learn new skills or beat bad habits? Share your experience in the Comments section below, thanks!

Getting Your Loved Ones to Prepare

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Note: This article was contributed by Dan F. Sullivan of SurvivalSullivan.com. To learn more about Dan you can see the About the Author section at the end of the post.

Getting Your Loved Ones To Prepare

One of the biggest frustrations we face as preppers is not the myriad of dangers that threaten our existence. It’s not the fact that, the more we prepare, the less prepared we feel. It’s the fact that no matter how much we argue and fight, our families are oblivious to the idea of prepping. Sometimes they even laugh at us and call us crazy, tension rises and, before you know it, it affects your relationships at a much deeper level than you would have thought.

Getting others to prepare is not an easy task and, with most people, you shouldn’t even bother but, when it comes to your loved ones, things are different. The way you handle your spouse and kids is different than the way you handle other people.

Long story short, you should get you family on board no matter what and you should forget everyone else who doesn’t live under the same roof as you. You know the old saying, loose lips sink ships, right?

Why Forget Everyone Else?

Forget everyone else because they’re not in the right mindset and you don’t see them often enough to properly influence them. They need to be exposed to the same information you’ve been exposed to. They need to make the same logical connections you have, otherwise, they won’t reach the same conclusions as you.

There are basically two reasons people start preparing: desperation and inspiration.

People get desperate when they see the impending danger, such as a hurricane that’s merely hours away. Other times, they became desperate after surviving a disaster or critical event by sheer luck. That’s exactly what happens after each major hurricane: a lot of survivors turn into preppers simply because they’ve seen death with their own eyes and realize that not preparing is the most dangerous move of all.

The second reason is inspiration, it’s the reason most of us do it. We’re exposed to information, we connect the dots and, all of the sudden, it all makes sense: we realize just how dangerous our world is and feel an urgent need to prepare.

Now, if you want to inspire people to prepare, you need to be relatively close to them. Living in the same house, spending a lot of time with them, sharing hobbies and passions. They need to trust you and, if possible, they need to share some of your concerns. That’s a little difficult to do with people at work, neighbors and other people that you don’t see very often.

Sure, we all like to talk politics from time to time but from having a heated debate over which politician is the worst to spending money on preps you may never use… that’s a big leap in the mind of the average Joe.

getting your loved ones to prepare — The family that preps together SURVIVES together!

Why Should You Get Your Family On Board?

To put it simply, you just won’t be able to prepare without them; you really have no choice. Let me give you a few reasons to back up that statement:

You and your family are in the same boat, whether you like or not (meaning, the same house and the same location that will be hit).
You can’t leave your family behind, no matter how unprepared they are. You’ll do your best to help them go through this because no mother or father can leave their entire family behind and just run away to save their own skin.
When SHTF, your family’s going to react like rest of the sheeple. They will freeze, they won’t know what to do, they will hide in the basement or some room even though, to you, it’s obvious that they’re making a big mistake. They’re going to be stubborn and unpredictable and this could kill you all.

Now, I know that convincing someone who’s not awoken to start putting effort and money into something that may never happened is hard but this is your family we’re talking about. You see them every day. You love them. You have the power to influence them. And you won’t leave them behind when SHTF, meaning their fate is your fate.

You can awaken them only if you do it right. Yes, most people do it the wrong way by approaching them in a way that’s guaranteed to fail. What they do is try to scare them with apocalyptic scenarios… and hit a brick wall.

That’s not how the human mind works, ladies and gentlemen!

And to prove it, you need to look no further than yourself. Did you start preparing the first time you heard the acronym EMP? Probably not. You had to let that information sink in, do some further reading, watch some more news, maybe talk to someone who was already preparing.

The dots started to appear to you and it was only a matter of time before you started connecting them.

Here’s another thing that probably happened: you learned about the possibility of small-scale, localized disasters. Things like flash floods, angry protests and even critical events such as electrocutions or terrorist attacks. That’s when things started to become real to you. That’s when you said to yourself:

Hey, this could one day happen to me!

Starting Small

So, you see, if you want to convince your loved ones to prep, you have to start talking about small scale events that happened close to where you live. Things that are already happening.

Every year we have blackouts, tornadoes, floods, rapes, heavy snow, assaults, failed police raids and so on. You have to look no further than old local newspapers and local news sites to read about all the disasters that happen every month or every week… even if you live in a really small town!

That’s your starting point. Start digging and talk to your family about them. Don’t look scared, don’t look in a hurry to prepare. Talk to them in an assertive manner and they’ll listen.

Once you’ve done that, it’s time to awaken them to some of the more complex scenarios. No, no nuclear attacks or a nation-wide EMP just yet. Talk to them about something believable, such as how the U.S. seems to be turning into a police state and it’s only a matter of time until Martial Law is declared.

As a matter of fact, why not show them videos that bring proof about this, such as this one that I made myself. In it, I reveal:

#1. …everything about the “undercover police state” a lot of analysts are saying the U.S. has turned into;

#2. …why sticking together as a family to prepare is important. How to do it and how to put together a fully-functional family survival plan.

Be Prepared For Counter Arguments

Now, once you start talking to them about disasters, you’re gonna hit some objections. They could say things like, such as:

What if nothing happens?

Prepping is hard.

Prepping is expensive.

People will think I’m crazy.

People will think WE’RE crazy as a family and are going to laugh at me in school.

I’d rather just live my life.

Remember, the first two steps were just to get them interested and open to what you have to say. This is where the “fun” begins. You’re going to have some heated discussions but not like the ones you’ve had before. This time they’re not going to make fun of you, call you crazy. They’re actually going to be logical and a lot more open.

All you have to do is have comebacks for each of them and after that, you need comebacks to their comebacks!

For example, if they say prepping is hard, you can tell them that a 72-hour disaster kit and a few survival skills will make a world of difference. Make sure you leave out the more advanced things preppers do such as having a one year stockpile. Your only goal right now is to get them to make the first step. That’s it. For more information on getting started prepping, CLICK HERE.

Maintaining Momentum

Now, you may be asking yourself:

Once I get them through the door, how do I make sure they stay inside?

Well, you have to make continuous effort to keep them on track. You know what they say:

Motivation gets you started, habits keep you going.

You need to make a habit of doing small things every 2-3 days. Maybe it’s buying some canned food, maybe it’s getting a new HAM radio. Even the purchase of a single bottle of water is a tiny guarantee on their part that they’re IN.

Now, if you really want to hit a home run, what you need to do is make it FUN for them. And what better way to make prepping for newbies fun that camping in the middle of nature?

Camping is not just a great way to “get away from it all” but an opportunity for your kids to brag at school with the survival skills you’ll be teaching them, especially the boys. See, if you want them to commit, you have to find all these reasons that make sense in their heads, not just yours.

If you can do that, if you can get them started, you’ll really be on your way to creating a survival dream-team that won’t be just willing but eager to help you. That means they’ll come up with their own ideas on how to prep, start reading on their own and even come up with new ideas on how to do things more efficiently. Leave it to the kids to browse around the internet for new and exciting ways to prep you never would have thought about.

What’s next?

If you want to learn the A to Z of how to prepare yourself and your family for any disaster, whether natural or man-made, I urge you to watch this video I made. Watch it all the way to the end for a complete family survival blueprint. Why? Because prepping is about the team. Remember: their fate is your fate.

As we mentioned at the top of the article, this post was contributed by Dan F. Sullivan. If you want more information from Dan on preparing with your family, I encourage you to check out his book, Family Survival Blueprints, which comes with 6 FREE bonus resources that will get your family prepared in no time. You can check it out by clicking on the book below:

Your Thoughts?

Getting your loved ones to prepare is a challenge many preppers have in common. Have you faced any obstacles to convincing members of your household to commit to your survival plan? How have you attempted to overcome them? Share your frustrations and successes in the Comments section below, thanks!

About the Author

Dan F. Sullivan runs SurvivalSullivan.com. He describes himself as:

My dad was military. My grandfather was a cop. They served their country well. But I don’t take orders from anyone. I’m taking matters into my own hands so I’m not just preparing, I’m going to friggin’ war!

Prepping For Small Spaces

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Now that you’ve read all of our articles on gathering preps (And learned to save money while you do it!), it’s time to find a good place to stash your stuff. We aren’t all fortunate enough to have a multi-acre compound with a series of concrete bunkers to store our hard-earned gear and preps.

With 80% of the United States population residing in urban areas, there’s a pretty good chance that you’re in an apartment or smaller house without a bunch of property or storage space. Let us show you how to store all of your preps effectively without cluttering up your entire living area.

How It Works

Think about packing up your BOB. When you spread everything out on the living room floor, the equipment seems to take up the whole room. Somehow, though, it all fits into that 35L pack. The same Tetris skills that make this little miracle possible can be utilized for large-scale storage all over your home. It’s all about considering the space and finding the most effective way to utilize it. Put away the Gameboy; this is for real.

Special Notes On Apartment Prepping

When storing food and water, make sure to consider any concerns related to spoiling. Water stored in plastic containers shouldn’t be left near heaters or in sunlight, so as to reduce leaching of the plastic into the water. Food should always be boxed in pest-proof containers. The last surprise you need when hiding from the roving hordes of zombies is to break out your Pasta Sides and find them full of little worms or mice. Protein’s a good thing, but emotional distress far outweighs it.
Consideration should be given to storing firearms, medical preps, and edged tools. Think about local laws and the likelihood of underage visitors getting their mitts on these items when you’re squirreling them away.
Think about how much stuff you have that you never use. Getting rid of those extras not only frees up space for preps, but gives you an appreciation for what you can live without. If it comes time to break out those preps, that ability to survive without every possible amenity may just come in handy.

Make It Happen

Take steps to get all your stuff squared away in your little space. Pay attention to these quick tips, and you’ll be well on your way.

Prioritize

On this site we’ve covered go bags, BOBs, INCH options, and bug-in preps. While these all have their applications, they don’t all need to be stored in the same place. For instance, you may want your go bag or BOB to be pretty handy in case of some quick emergency: A fire, tornado, or local riot. Bug-in food or medical preps, on the other hand, can be tucked away in a spot that doesn’t require quick and easy access.

Consider the convenient dead space in your place. Most BOBs will easily fit under a rack of hanging clothes or next to the vacuum in a closet. Since you see it every day, you’ll know exactly where your bag is in the event of a “get out quick” emergency.

Having your BOB easily accessible can also encourage you to think about your preps more often and trigger you to remember to replace those old batteries, toss in some zip-ties, or check the expiration dates on food packs.

For long term preps, find all that real hidden storage. While it’s a fine idea to break up your preps into small caches, be sure to keep each cache complete enough to hold you for a day or two. For instance, don’t store a couple cans of food alone in a desk drawer. If you have an entire desk drawer that can be utilized, instead use it to store a large FAK, flashlight and batteries, and a radio.

Get Some Vertical

If you don’t have any shelving or other storage options above shoulder height, you’re missing out on about half of your storage space; but you’re sure not paying half the price! Tall, narrow shelving units are the bee’s knees for storing preps in small spaces. Most closets have space on either end that isn’t quite right for clothing, but is certainly wide enough to stack preps in narrow shelving units.

If you’re not opposed to the appearance, don’t forget about those hard-to-reach spots on top of your cabinets either. First ensure that there’s a good solid board or two for everything to rest on up there, then pull out your stepstool and start stacking. The amount of canned food and bottled water that can fit in the two feet between a cabinet and the ceiling will astound you.

Inside the Box

Boxes and bins are easily stackable, move and slide around with minimal effort, and are a great way to organize preps and gear. Check out your local big box store; for less than a Benjamin you can bring home all the storage options you could ask for. Look for the skinny plastic storage bins designed to fit under a bed; these are great organizers.

If you’ve already thought of this for storing winter clothes and Christmas presents, try pulling your bed out from the wall 8-12 inches. The gap to the wall provides a huge amount of storage space for stackable goods without detracting much from the overall room layout. The same thing goes for couches, chairs, or entertainment centers.

Alternatively, fill up some decorative baskets or trunks and hide your stuff in plain sight. That idea crosses over to filling up empty suitcases, shoe boxes, or dresser drawers.

Dense Thinking

Get the most bang for your storage buck. For food preps, think high-calorie, nutrient-dense food. Soups are cheap and tasty, but don’t have the caloric density of canned meat or protein bars. Noodles are a great idea, but rice has just as many cooking options and is wildly more calorically dense and easy to store.

Anything that can be made smaller should be. Putting clothes in vacuum-sealed bags can reduce their bulk by three-quarters, while at the same time making them more manageable to stack or stand vertically. Rolls of paper towels or toilet paper can be squished flat. Many new items come in bulky and difficult-to-arrange packaging. If it’s not going to spoil, pull it out of the packaging; just remember to save any necessary directions!

Keep It Close

Storage facilities, family farms, and other off-site storage facilities can be pretty tempting options for apartment prepping. Before committing to these, consider the reality of your situation. For one, do your preps really require that much space? Are you sure there’s not some more room at home? Also take into account the difficulty of getting to your storage location in an emergency. If it’s not an easy walk, it might not be a good solution.

If your apartment comes with a separate storage area, use it. Just don’t use it for preps! Keep in mind that even if it’s tough to see into, these storage areas are rarely particularly secure. In the case of an emergency where you’ll be using your preps, you’ll likely be quite vulnerable while you’re making trips back and forth with all your stuff. Consider using that storage space to hold other excess from your apartment, thus making room inside for your valuable preps. For more info on bug-in supplies, CLICK HERE.

For Those with More Space

Even if you’re in a small house with limited property, you likely have a lot more options. Attics, crawl spaces, under-stairs spaces, and garages all present a multitude of storage options. Stick with the rules above; they’re still applicable. It can’t be stressed enough to go with lots of shelving.

Also think about the hidden storage in guest or spare rooms. Before you get too excited about your attic or basement, do be wary of the heat that can build up in attics and the moisture that can accumulate in basements or crawl spaces. An attic fan or a dehumidifier or silica desiccant cartridge is a great investment for keeping unwanted heat or moisture away from your preps.

Take It Outside

If you have a yard or private outdoor space, don’t dismiss the idea of outdoor storage. While leaving things piled under a tarp probably isn’t a very good scenario, small storage bins or outbuildings are relatively inexpensive and can be tremendous space multipliers. As with apartment storage units, consider moving yard tools and excess house junk into these spaces and leaving the preps safe inside.

Google It

Like we do with everything else we’re unsure of in this day and age; just use Google. Images and ideas abound for storage solutions of every possible kind. Some of them will be perfect for you to copy, while others might just give you the right kind of inspiration to delve into a project of your own. If you come up with a good one, make sure you’re fair to the other preppers in small spaces and remember to upload photos of your own ingenuity. Here are a few videos that make good use of space for preps:

Your Thoughts?

Hopefully this has given you a few ideas and some inspiration to get cracking on storing your preps properly. Do you know of any good spots we’ve left out? What do you do to maximize your small space? Let us know in the Comments section below.

7 Common Prepping Mistakes…And How You Can Avoid Making Them!

7 Common Prepping Mistakes

Getting ready for the apocalypse is a somewhat complex matter because there’re a lot of variables involved: your age, your location, your financial situation, your current preparations, your neighbors, your location, the climate, your bug-out location, your family and many more.

Complexity leads to mistakes, not that there’s anything wrong with them; it’s always good to make them because that’s how we learn best. People who make the most are usually the ones that are more committed to their cause and have the highest chances of success.

Let’s see some of the most common mistakes you’re probably doing right now that could prove to be lethal if something serious were to happen right now.

Mistake #1: Not keeping quiet about their efforts

The first rule of fight club is… well, it’s true. People are going to think you’re nuts for preparing because they only think “zombies” and “the Apocalypse” when you try and talk to them. It’s a stereotype that clouds their judgement and it’s difficult to get them to change their mind.

I wrote an interesting piece about getting your loved ones to prepare where I talk about Noah and how we all feel like him when trying to get others to prepare. Noah was the first prepper in history. God spoke to him, meaning he relied on spiritual guidance and went against conventional wisdom and he prepared. He did it despite what everyone else thought of him…

He also did one more thing a lot of preppers aren’t: he got his family on board. He couldn’t have done it without them which leads me to mistake #2.

Mistake #2: Not getting their families on board

I know, I know. There are endless debates on whether or not you should “waste” your times getting your household members to prepare. But hear me out.

When disaster strikes, your loved ones might be the biggest threat to your safety. Whether you need to bug in or out, they’re going to be right there with you and influence the events that are unfolding.

So when your spouse is standing at the door, petrified, when your kids are hiding under the bed, screaming, how exactly are you going to put your evacuation plan into action? Are you going to bug out on your own, leaving them behind?

Of course not. What parent could ever do that? Instead, you’re going to drag them out kicking and screaming, wasting precious seconds and putting all your lives in danger. And even if you do manage to escape, the fact that they don’t even have bug out bags means you’re going to have to share with them the little you have. And that’s certain death, isn’t it?

The key to convincing your family to start preparing is to start small. Don’t talk to them about nation-wide Martial Law, a global EMP event or the Yellowstone erupting. They’ll just want to take a smoke of whatever it is you’re having because, they’ll judge, it must be really good.

A much better approach is to talk about smaller-scale disasters and critical events, such as earthquakes, flash floods, home invasions, assaults, rapes and so on. These are BELIEVABLE and easier to swallow. The whole point is to get them through the door, to have them to make the first step and worry about the rest later.

One more thing, try and talk to them about events that are likely to happen where you live. To do that, just browse the archives of your local news websites; you’ll surely find a lot of horrific accidents that happened less than a mile away from you.

Mistake #3: Stockpiling food they’re allergic to

I’m not talking about the case where you store peanuts and you know you’re allergic to. I’m talking about the allergies you’re not even aware of. Like the old saying: You don’t know what you don’t know.

Should you test yourself to find out what you’re allergic to? That’s a good idea but an even better one would be to actually eat from your stockpile. Not a lot, you don’t want to put your life in danger, but rotating your food is something you need to do anyway.

Mistake #4: Not practicing their skills

Reading is not the same as putting something into action. In most cases, when you try something for the first time, you screw it up. Big time.

That’s why you need to start practicing bugging out on every route imaginable, living out in the wild, evacuating in the face on an impending natural disaster, giving first-aid, eating survival food, using guns, defending your home and so on. Camping is a great way to learn survival because it’s a safe environment that will give you a small taste of what it’s like to be out there in the wild.

(Of course, camping and prepping are not even close to being the same thing but it’s a great first step, particularly for your spouse and kids.)

Heck, you can even practice in front of the mirror how you’re going to approach your loved ones to help you prep… because if you don’t sound confident, you’re gonna have a much tougher time.

Mistake #5: Putting all their stockpile in one place

Your basement could get flooded. Your house could get invaded. Your bug-out location could be compromised. Never put all your eggs in one basket because if that basket is stolen, destroyed or confiscated… you’re in trouble.

Hide your tools, clothes, food and medicine in various places inside your home, in your backyard, at your bug-out location and in your car.

Mistake #6: Overestimating how much they can carry

It’s easy to get the biggest backpack out there and to fill it with everything you think you might need. Only problem is, there’s only so much you can carry. Consider the fact that you’re going to be on the run for hours on end with that thing on your back. No matter how long you think you’ll last, you’re probably overestimating.

To prove this to you, walk for 2-3 miles with a fully loaded BOB and find out. It can be one of your escape routes to your BOL (bug-out location). Get a stopwatch and find out how long you can walk at a medium-fast pace without feeling the need to stop.

Consider that you may not be the one who needs to take a break; it could be one of your kids. And if they stop, you all have to stop.

Mistake #7: Not preparing for all seasons

A lot of the times, when we prepare, we have this image in our head that Doomsday is going to be on a warm, sunny day. But what if it’s freezing cold and 2 feet of snow outside? Or, quite the contrary, what if the temperatures are going to be extremely high?

Remember that old saying from Game of Thrones, winter is coming? Winter was no joke before we had all the modern-day conveniences and should never be taken lightly. The cold temperatures might compel people to find shelter and heat, your immune system will be lower, your crops will not grow and so on. Also, consider the fact that a disastrous event could span several seasons or even several years before things would get back to some sort of normal.

Conclusion

OK, that’s it. Those where it: a few of the biggest mistakes a lot of preppers make. You can find your own mistakes (not found in this list) by taking a long hard look at your preps and being honest to yourself. At the end of the day, the best way to discover your prepping holes is to practice everything, to put yourself in adverse situations, to see how you’ll react and then make improvements based on what happens.

Your Thoughts?

Are there any mistakes you see other preppers making? Have you learned from a mistake that you made? Please let us know in the Comment Section below, thanks!

About the Author

Dan F. Sullivan runs SurvivalSullivan.com. He describes himself as:

Drones: A Prepper’s Guide

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Inspiration for new preps can come from unexpected places sometimes. This happened to me when I was last visiting my parents and had the opportunity to take my Dear Old Dad’s quadrocopter drone for a test flight.

The drone, a Phantom 2 by DJI was a blast to fly around. It also sported an HD camera that took high quality footage of us and the surrounding area. It was surprisingly easy to control, even for a novice (me). Watching the drone soar got me thinking, are there any applications to prepping that a drone could be used for?

How Would A Prepper Use A Drone?

I gave it some thought and came up with a few specific situations where having a drone on your side would be handy. Most of these center around bug in scenarios as no one is going to want to haul around a power source or copter when bugging out. In particular, using your drone to patrol or inspect your perimeter or the surrounding area would be a huge advantage to have.

Note: This is not intended to be an exhaustive overview of drone technology or all of the models that are available. But, if you are planning on bugging in, it may be worth giving a drone some thought.

Me taking Dear Old Dad's drone for a spin. — Me taking Dear Old Dad’s drone for a spin.

Defending Your Perimeter

Your first line of defense in protecting your premises will be to build a perimeter security system that will alert you to the presence of trespassers and help you to prepare for any conflict – providing you with the upper hand defending your home.

In addition to this, having a drone on hand to inspect damage or investigate a disturbance would be a major advantage. While the use of drone technology for surveillance dates back to WWI, only recently has it become accessible for private use. With fitted cameras, sensors, and state-of-the-art flight capabilities, drones are showing that their usefulness extends well beyond simply serving as a hobby for aerial enthusiasts and photographers.

What Is a Drone?

Any unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) is considered a drone. The majority of commercial drones are multirotors, with the most popular being quadrocopters (4 rotors). Most modern drones can be fitted with a camera to provide the operator with a bird’s eye view of the flight path, and some modern commercial drones come equipped with cameras already.

Drones are not merely military devices that function as insanely fun toys for the masses. They also have practical commercial applications including monitoring livestock, pipeline security, road patrol, search and rescue, wildfire mapping, videography and anti-piracy. As drones have the ability to pursue a manually-operated or automated flight pattern, they make ideal tools for homeowners to safely surveil their property without putting themselves in harm’s way.

Additionally, drones can be fitted with a variety of supplementary features including speakers, tasers, mace, and infrared or night vision cameras. For some models, flight paths can be monitored through smartphone and tablet apps.

Benefits of Perimeter Security

Effective perimeter security allows you to monitor what’s happening around your property from the comfort of your home or shelter and provides you with advance warning of any trespassers, giving you the upper hand.

Depending on the cause and length of your bug in situation, your property may become a target for other survivors, desperate to take your supplies by any means possible. When determining your security needs, consider your location in respect to its proximity to civilization and roadways, as the more accessible you are to others, the more of a target you become.

Other factors to consider when planning your perimeter security include the following:

Is there limited visibility caused by terrain or structures
Do you have an expansive property that can be easily approached from many directions
Are you located near a major roadway where travelers might have to abandon vehicles and continue on foot
If you are bugging-in in a suburban setting, are your neighbors close by
If you are bugging-in in an urban setting, how is your visibility of the area surrounding your building

drone-prepping-3 — Would be pretty sweet for perimeter defense…

Why Use a Drone For Perimeter Security?

In terms of perimeter security, drones provide several advantages over mounted cameras or simply patrolling the property yourself, including mobile video surveillance, remote control and stealth.

Mobile Video Surveillance

Unlike a mounted camera, which is fixed on a designated area, drones are mobile and provide an unlimited field of view. The real-time video surveillance capabilities of a drone provide the ability to immediately assess whether a disturbance is a threat or welcome members of your team.

Remote Control

The ability to operate and control the drone from a distance not only keeps the operator out of harm’s way, but also facilitates the surveillance of large areas in a short amount of time and of areas that would be treacherous to travel by foot.

Stealth

Drones are generally very quiet and have long range view capabilities. Additionally, drones cannot be avoided or tampered with as can a mounted camera.

One drawback to drones is that, yes, they can be shot down by an intruder. But most people would much rather lose their drone than their own life.

What Type Of Drone Would A Prepper Buy?

You can find drones that sell for as little as $50, but if you want a durable, top-rated model, you’ll need to spend at least $1,000 or more. Drones can be purchased ready to fly or in kits that you assemble. If you plan on adding several of your own features, a do-it-yourself drone is probably the best option; in fact, several brands offer a modular design that adapts well to add-ons.

When purchasing your drone, consider the following:

Maneuverability
Durability
Ability to live stream (first person view) vs. recording you can watch later – this decision comes down to personal preference and circumstances

Look for drones with the following features:

Gimbal to stabilize video
HD cameras
Long stream broadcast distance (more than 100 yards)

Here is a video taken by drone to give you an idea of the scope and range of what an operator can see when in flight:

What Features Should I Look For In a Perimeter Defense Drone?

There are a variety of different features that can be added to drones, the best ones for you depend entirely on your situation and particular circumstances. For instance, drones come with varying levels of user control, with the most extreme being completely autonomous drones that patrol without any human interference.

Depending on your needs, an autonomous device may be ideal or you may want some level of manual operation to check on specific disturbances.

When choosing a drone for perimeter defense, here are some useful features you should consider:

Detection software, which can be installed to recognize perimeter breaches and immediately send the drone to the vicinity of the breach. Additionally, this software can be synched with an invisible infrared geo-fence, motion detectors, or seismic sensors, that can all be positioned in key locations around your property.
Flight time charge, this is a crucial factor as you want to ensure the desired flight path can be accomplished with a single charge.
Safety features, including proximity sensors that will detect and avoid objects in the flight path, emergency landing gear in the event of mechanical failure, and a ‘return-to-base’ function in the event the battery is low or the connection with the controller is lost.
Video, this can be displayed on the controller, streamed to a smartphone or tablet, or connected via video goggles for a first-hand, virtual reality experience. If you won’t be actively monitoring the flight path, you can also have the data sent to a DVR for viewing at another time.

If you see one of these above you it is probably too late... — If you see one of these above you it is probably too late…

OK, So Which One Should I Choose?

The ‘best’ drone for you depends entirely on your particular needs; what is an optimal choice for one person may not necessarily serve the needs of someone else. The following are our top drones picks along with the relative benefits of each, review each keeping in mind your particular circumstances to determine which would be the best fit:

Drone	Features	Cost
DJI Phantom 2 Vision+	• Ready to fly and easy to operate out of box • Flight time of 15-20 minutes • Three-axis camera stabilization • Shoots full HD video • Controller is smartphone compatible for viewing video and adjusting camera settings	$$$
Parrot Bebop	• Flight time is approximately 10 minutes • Can be controlled with an iphone or android device; alternatively, a SkyController can be purchased for $400 providing joystick controls, extended range, and HDMI output • 14 megapixel camera with 180 field of view fisheye lens that automatically stabilizes the image, removes the fisheye effect, and sends image straight to a smartphone • Records up to 8GB of 1080p video directly on the device	$$
3D Robotics X8+	• Offers 15 minutes of flight time • 8 motors with 11” propellers • Can lift 2 lbs. and has a sturdy design • Modular platform allows for customizing; does not come with camera or gimbal, but these can be added • “Follow me” gps tracking feature links to your smartphone	$$$
Hubsan Spyhawk FPV	• Spy plane design • Front-facing camera • Built in LCD display on the controller • Three-axis flight stabilization	$
Drone in Action - Chaotic Unmanned Personal Intercept Drone (CUPID)	• Not yet available on market • Sends live video feed to a smartphone • Can locate an intruder and incapacitate them with 80,000 volts of electricity (see video!)	$$$$
ArizonaFPV The Copper Copter	• Offers 10 minutes of flight time between charges • Programmable Camera included • Only available from the manufacturer	$$$$

What Else Should I Consider Before Investing in a Drone?

Remember that in a bug-in situation, power will be a scarce resource. As drones are battery powered, battery life should be a top consideration as well as having an alternative power source at your bug-in location. For instance, in the case of power grid failure, drone surveillance would be rendered useless without some other means of providing power.

power grid failure — What To Expect During A Power Grid Failure

Another consideration to keep in mind is government regulations regarding drone usage. As drones are an emerging technology, the FAA is drafting regulations concerning their usage. The most recent information states that a UAV (drone) must:

Weigh less than 55 lbs.
Always remain within the visual line sight of the operator
Have a maximum speed of 100 mph (87 knots)
Not be operated within 5 miles of any airport

In some situations, you may also need a license to operate one. While these regulations will be of little concern in a SHTF situation, be aware of them now to ensure you stay in compliance while practicing with your UAV.

Conclusion

Drones can be an excellent choice for perimeter security but involve a significant financial investment and require a decent amount of electrical and aerodynamical knowledge to maintain. Drones are also highly dependent on having a readily available electrical power source, an option that may not always present itself in every bug-in scenario. If you are considering using a drone for perimeter security, it is also important to keep an eye on the development of FAA regulations, which are only in the early stages.

The technology to remotely surveil your property and protect your family and supplies from intruders is here now, and it will only continue to improve. If you have a large property and are planning to bug in, a drone may be a smart investment. Always remember, when it comes to survival, chance favors the well-prepared.

Your Thoughts?

Have you ever owned or operated a drone? Would you consider using a drone for perimeter defense? Share your thoughts with us in the Comments Section below, thanks!