Preparedness

For when SHTF

 

I am thoroughly overwhelmed by the interest in homesteading and excited to continue this series!

For me, homesteading is a balance between freedom, health and being prepared for when SHTF–that’s an acronym for “shit hits the fan,” which is a wonderful expression. Imagine a ceiling fan spinning at high speed and a projectile of, well, shit – nothing would be the same again for a long time.

(Remember COVID?)

Preparedness: Core Elements

During the COVID panic, I believe that most of us witnessed or experienced at least a small taste of what life could be like during a SHTF scenario. The majority of the country was shut down. Many were not able to work and therefore could not afford basic necessities. 

Grocery store shelves were barely stocked and when items were available, there were limits on how many of each item could be purchased.

Although my family had been working towards our homestead goals pre-COVID, we doubled and at times tripled our efforts after witnessing the absurdity of “pandemic life”. 

Being prepared is going to mean different things to different people because we all live in different situations, but there are some universal needs. 

Immediate Needs

Drinkable Water

 If you live on a property with a well, you’re set! If you live on property with a natural water source such as a creek, stream, pond or other water source, you need to know how to filter the water and make it safe for consumption. There are many filters on the market that can be bought for this purpose and my best advice is to do your research and find the one that would work best for your situation. If you live in an apartment with no access to a natural source, my best advice is to either store water ahead in containers or stock up on bottled water. Find a place to store 2-3 cases of bottled water in the bottom of a closet, under the bed, or split it up and put a few bottles in every spare corner or cubby you can find. Try to have enough drinkable water on hand for at least 2-3 weeks (a month’s supply would be better if you have the space) so as to buy yourself some time to devise another plan using available local resources. 

Food

Beginning to grow food now in preparation for SHTF would be ideal. Start a garden. It doesn’t matter if it is a traditional garden, raised bed or container garden. Just learn to grow something. Even if you don’t eat what you grow, you might be able to trade it for something else you need. You could even trade the knowledge of how to grow the food to someone who doesn’t know, because unfortunately, there are plenty of people who don’t  know that if you put a seed in dirt with a little water, it will grow. If your space is limited, grow your plants in 5 gallon buckets so they can be easily moved to the areas with the best sun or to get them out of the way. 

Grow herbs in small windowsill pots. Get creative. Herbs can be used as medicine and can be bartered for other goods. In future posts, I will tell you what I have learned about  natural healing. 

If the SHTF conditions persist for longer than a few weeks, you can grow beets in a bathtub. They are one of the ultimate survival super-foods. Personally, I think they taste like crap, but I grow them just the same. 

If starting to grow food right now isn’t feasible, then buy 6-8 weeks worth of your favorite all around survival food. Items such as protein bars and peanut butter are good choices. They take up very little space and it’s something you will use on a regular basis anyway. If you have the space, canned goods such as soups and canned meats (tuna, chicken, SPAM, it doesn’t matter as long as it’s something you will use) are great items to have in your pantry.

 To keep your stockpile from expiring, use what you need and rotate the supply to keep the newest in the back. Just don’t let  your supply run below what you would need to have on hand if you weren’t able to purchase any for 6-8 weeks.

 I tend to lean towards dry goods for our home as the ultimate back-up to the back-up stash. We keep dry beans and rice on hand as a pantry staple, stored in buckets. 

Toiletries and Medication

Yes, you do want to have a backup supply of toilet paper, shampoo, soap, toothpaste, etc. That being said, there’s no reason to go get in a fist fight with all the " Karens" at the local Costco just to stack toilet paper floor to ceiling in a spare room. Whenever you find a BOGO (buy one get one) sale on any of the items you regularly use, take advantage! If it’s too expensive to stock up all at once, then don’t. There are easier ways. For example, if you purchase items weekly, this week buy one extra bottle of shampoo to store away. Next week buy an extra tube of toothpaste. Continue until everything is stocked. 

Medication can be a bit more tricky. Of course you want a damn good first aid/trauma kit. Search Amazon for the ones made for hiking, camping and off grid. Make sure you have OTC painkillers and antibiotic cream. 

As for prescription meds, this is where many people run into roadblocks. My 28 year old daughter is Type 1 Diabetic. This means she is completely insulin dependent. She discovered that she can use the insulin sold at Wal-Mart  (an off brand that I cannot remember the name of and is sold without a prescription). This insulin will last about 2 months unopened. Once the vial is opened, it will last about a month. She keeps her supply two months ahead, rotating the stock every time she opens a new vial. This works for HER. Whatever your medical situation, if you want to have an emergency supply of prescription meds, talk to your doctor and a pharmacist. If  you express your concerns of being caught without medication for an extended period of time, they may be willing to help you devise a plan to have an emergency supply.

Heat Source and Means to Cook

As with everything else, this depends on your situation. At my house, we have wood and a wood stove. We keep a stockpile of firewood at all times, even in the summer, just in case we need the fire for cooking. Some might have a backyard fire pit. This would be ideal. If using a fire is not an option, think about a backyard grill. You can buy the ones that run on propane canisters. There are even small ones for camping that use the small canisters. It would be relatively easy, even in an apartment, to store  a small camp stove and 2 or 3 small fuel canisters. 

Knowledge, Knowledge, Knowledge

The things I have listed to this point are absolute necessities in the event of an emergency, but the most important thing you can arm yourself with to survive this type of SHTF situation is knowledge. Learn where the local farms in your area are located. Know how to get there on foot if need be. Talk to these people ahead of time. Don’t be afraid to ask questions about their willingness to barter or the items they would accept from you in exchange for their product.

 A very good friend of my husband’s saves silver, the actual metal, as  part of his retirement plan. He once asked my husband how much silver it would take to buy a gallon of milk if SHTF (since we have a dairy cow). My husband immediately replied, “The cow can’t eat silver. If you want milk, bring me something the cow can eat.”

This type of common sense thinking has fallen by the wayside but will need to be resurrected if our current standard currency is worthless. 

Network and talk to your neighbors. Find the ones that are like-minded and combine resources.

 Do research on every subject imaginable. Learn about water filters, growing food, storing food, natural healing, anything and everything. 

Personally, I’m old and can no longer trust my memory. Therefore if I find something I believe to be of vital importance, I find a printable version or order a physical-hard-copy book. Keep in mind that if there is no electricity, we can’t simply check our devices for saved files. 

If a SHTF scenario lasts more than a few weeks, you will NEED this knowledge. Knowledge is the biggest tool in your shed. Use it. 

Thank you everyone for your interest! I enjoy writing these posts. This wasn’t initially my first choice of content to follow up the introduction essay, but the interest in the topic was overwhelming. I am starting seeds for my garden this week and working with seedlings that are coming in now. I intend to use grow bags and buckets for growing vegetables this year as well. It will be my first attempt at using grow bags. I will document what I am doing and post it for you, along with some new gardening ideas next Thursday. Thank you  for your encouragement!