Preparation Handbook

Make a list for your supply run. Build your list by writing down each consumable item used this month.


Purchase multiples of shelf-stable items that you regularly use.


Totes and Buckets


Buckets will help keep pests out of any food or supplies.


Totes help to keep things organized; Anything from small shoe-sized totes up to 50-gallons.


Totes are valuable if you need to move your stock of goods; everything is in one place and ready to roll.


More information may be found in my Preparation Handbook. Including shelving plans and height recommendations.

One gallon Per Person Per day -1g/p/d is enough to get by; a few quarts to drink and one to use for cooking or washing up.


Stock a few cases of bottled water. Twelve 12-oz bottles is just over a gallon of water.


1-gallon or 2.5-gallon containers are more convenient to store, reuse, transport, and they produce less waste than individual bottles of water.


Write the purchase year and month YYYYMM on the container. 


Rotate Yearly


Follow the checklist in the Preparation Handbook to help with rotation.


Rotate by taking your oldest water storage when attending outdoor activities like picnics, hiking, and camping.


Test your preparedness by using only stored water for a week.


Replenish as needed.


More information may be found in my Preparation Handbook.

Train your brain to have situational awareness. Take notes to use as a focal point.


Follow the S.T.O.P. principle. 


Safety: Remain calm and get to a safe space.


Think: Where do I fit in the current situation, and where do I need to be.


Observe: Use diverse news sources to find out more information.


Plan: Figure out the next best course of action and execute.


Practicing situational awareness can be done anytime. Practice when the stakes are low so that you’re ready when a tough decision is needed.

More information may be found in my Preparation Handbook.


Out of everything mentioned in the Preparation Handbook, putting time into building strength and range of motion is, by far, your best investment.


• Start simple and make movement a daily habit.
• 
Reach up to the sky, then bend over and touch your toes. 

• Bend from side to side, one arm reaching to the floor with the other to the sky.

• Lay on your stomach and get up from the floor. Switch to your back and get up. 


Repeat each a few times.


Take a beginner’s yoga class. There are plenty of yoga videos available from YouTube or DVDs from your local library.


Do a little bit every day when you wake up.


Take a minute every hour to do a stretch or a movement you are working to improve.

Bodyweight Exercise

Use body-weight exercises to strengthen your muscles.

Practice walking or running over diverse terrain types, Concrete, dirt trails, tall grass, sand, rocks, etc. Each change in landscape will work out different muscle groups.

Pull-ups can be difficult to get started with if you have never practiced that movement. Pull-up assistance bands help by taking some of your body’s weight off of your arms.

Weighted Exercise

Kettlebell weights are versatile and allow for movements that cover all muscle groups. Use kettlebell swings to build strength and your cardio capacity.

Amazon Basics Kettlebells are a great value and usually around $1/lb. You may also find a selection at your local gym equipment stores.

Rogue Fitness has a few kettlebells made in the USA(by Cadillac Casting, Inc. in Cadillac Michigan).

Similar to Kettlebells, sandbags are an unstable load to lift and throw around. Brute Force sandbags make their products in the USA (Denver Colorado). I have a Brute Force sandbag that I’ve been using for about 10 years, and it’s still in great condition.