Prepping Mistakes You Must Avoid at All Costs
In case you haven’t figured it out already, prepping is an inexact science. Part of the reason it is inexact is that none of us know what disaster we’re ultimately going to be faced with. The other part of the reason is that until that disaster rears its ugly head, we can’t test what we’re doing.
Since testing is an important part of developing any plan or program; as preppers, we’re placed in the unenviable position of having to develop our plans and preps, without being able to do the one thing that will tell us if we’re right or not. Nevertheless, we have the experience of others, who have gone before us, which we can lean on to avoid making at least some mistakes.
Tunnel Vision
It’s easy to get fixated on one possible disaster scenario, to the exclusion of all others. There is good reason why this happens. Someone who lives in a hurricane zone knows that they will eventually be faced by a hurricane, so they prepare for it. We can also develop tunnel vision because we’re focused on a huge potential disaster. While preparing for that disaster may prepare us for many others, we might overlook something.
As preppers, we have to be always vigilant to other possibilities. One way to do this is to check our preps against random disaster scenarios. Pick any potential disaster, look at the potential destruction it could cause and then see if your preps are up to the task.
Free Report: How To Prepare Like An Expert For Only $3 A Day <<
Not Training
About the only thing we can do to mitigate the problem of not being able to test our preps is to train constantly. We need to run simulations, such as simulating bugging out or locking our family in our home for the weekend without power or water and seeing how we would live in a survival situation. This also gives us the opportunity to find errors in our plan and fix them.
Being Motivated by Fear
Fear is dangerous. As preppers, we can’t afford it into our lives. The major problem is that fear paralyzes, preventing us from doing what we need to do. We become so afraid of doing the wrong thing, that we end up not doing anything. It’s better to do something to prepare, than to do nothing, as it’s quite possible that whatever you do to prepare will help you when the disaster strikes.
Some people say that fear can motivate, but that’s only true when we can control it. How do you learn to control it? Be facing it and overcoming it. Then, and only then, can you see the danger and do what you have to do.
Talking too Much
It’s normal to want to talk about what’s going on in your life and what you’re doing. Unfortunately, talking about prepping can be dangerous. Oh, I’m not talking about the danger of people making fun of you, but rather the danger of those people remembering that you’re a prepper when the SHTF and they don’t have any food to eat. Then they’ll come around, expecting you to share what you have.
The only thing you can do is clam up and not tell anyone anything. That way, those people won’t know to show up at your door. You also need to be careful to prevent people from seeing what you’re doing and drawing their own conclusions.
Not Having a Bug Out Plan
I’m a strong advocate for bugging in, if at all possible. Generally speaking, you’ll have more to work with by staying home, where you already have shelter, as well as tools and supplies. But there are always extenuating circumstances which could make your home inhabitable. Roving bands of attackers could make it dangerous to stay home or a natural catastrophe could render it inhabitable. You’ve got to have a complete bug out plan ready, including a place to go to, just in case.
Buying Equipment, but Not Learning how to Use It
It’s easy to get captivated by the advertising for the latest and greatest piece of survival equipment. With the current interest in prepping, there are companies working overtime to develop new products. But depending upon those products can be dangerous in and of itself, if you don’t know how to use them. Take them out and play with them; learn how to use them competently. For that matter, you should also know what to do if you don’t have that piece of equipment available.
Buying the Wrong Equipment
Speaking of that advertising, watch out for the hype. The best feature of some equipment is the advertising. You don’t necessarily need the latest and greatest, if you know what you are doing. You need what you can depend on. Of course, the more you learn about survival, the less likely you are to fall for that hype.
Forgetting to be Redundant
I wish there was equipment that one could buy, which would never fail. But, after buying a high dollar water filtration system that should never go bad, I learned that even the best of equipment, designed by preppers for preppers, will still fail. You’ve always got to have a backup and even a backup for your backup, when it comes to critical survival equipment. That way, you’ll always have something you can count on; no matter what.
Thinking You’re Rambo
What made Rambo such a great movie was that Sylvester Stallone did it alone. Even though it was one man against an army, he defeated them all. Unfortunately, there are few preppers who are truly the Rambo type, although there are many who think they are. If you think you can go it alone and make it, you may very well be walking into a trap.
Every prepper should become part of a survival team. There are many advantages of that, especially in the area of mutual defense. In addition, each team member can become a specialist in one area, allowing them to study it more in depth, increasing the team’s overall knowledge. When the time comes that you’re thrown into a survival situation, the team can help each other, dividing the workload and accomplishing more by working together.
