As any prepper knows, there are many different scenarios and variables that will require that you bug out or bug in. In the case of a bug out, it’s more complicated to prep for because you need a plan that is way more complex and that deals with lots of variables that don’t happen when you’re just bugging in.

The best thing you can do is obviously prep. This is why it’s so important to have a plan for all the major possibilities of bug out scenarios. To help you with that, I did my research on the most likely bug out scenarios. According to research the most likely bug out scenarios are floods, hurricanes, wildfires, nuclear attacks, riots, earthquakes, running out of resources, and terrorism.

Just remember that you shouldn’t have only one plan for all the scenarios above. The best prepper has plan B, C, D, E, and F. Natural disasters will require not only a different plan but also different skills set than a nuclear incident or attack. So, the best way to make sure you survive, it’s to plan accordingly. After all, bug out scenarios are dangerous just for the fact that everyone is trying to leave at once.

Just think about what happens when a closed space is on fire and everybody tries to leave at the same time in panic. More common than not, people die from other reasons other the fire itself. Nevertheless, you want to have a survival plan that prepares you for any disaster scenario. Click here for a plan that will get you prepared in the most effective way.

Flood

Flood is one of the most common reasons people are forced to leave their houses. For one, floods are dangerous if you take too much time to evacuate or, again, if everyone is trying to hit the road at the same time.

The best you can do here is to follow the radio broadcast to be well informed of when is best to leave and if it is necessary at all. A lot of the flood incidents that happen in the U.S are caused by a hurricane or other major storms.

If you live near a river or the sea, you’re more likely to need to evacuate. In this case, your best option might be to go to another city that is out of the flood’s range. Going to the mountains may not be a good idea due to soil instability.

In case of floods, even if you don’t need to leave but is near enough to be affected by some other problems caused by the flood, it’s a good idea to have resources. For example, water sources are usually contaminated in these situations for a few days. Also, going out to buy food may not be a good idea. Floods usually cause problems to the power grid leaving people without energy for a few days and sometimes even a few weeks. So, it’s a great idea to have batteries and any other power sources available.

Once you have a plan for the possibility of floods, it’s time to check the boxes for the next bug out scenarios. The more you prep, the safer you are. Just remember to check if you have all the equipment and to constantly do the maintenance part, including your vehicle.

Hurricane

Hurricanes can be real nightmares. They not only cause mass destruction but the repercussions afterward are equally devastating. In Florida, this is one of the most common reasons people are forced to leave their houses.

If you live in a place like that, or even if you just want to be prepared for everything, you must prep for hurricanes. Again, in this case, you should be tuning in to the radio broadcast to have a better assessment of your situation. Still, it’s important to point out that you shouldn’t rely solely on that to make your decision to bug out.

In the case of hurricanes, you should have a place that is outside the zones that will be affected and leave early. If you wait too long to leave, what happens is that you’re going to stay stuck in traffic and way more vulnerable.

Remember that people usually leave things to the last minute, which in turn makes matters worse since everyone is panicking, trying to save their own lives. The best you can always do in any bug out situation is leave early or leave after everybody if that’s an option.

Most of the time everyone tries to leave at the same time and using the same methods. This overcrowds airports and highways, which creates chaos. This is why you should never leave when everybody is also doing it if it’s an option.

So, your plan for hurricanes should be somewhat basic. Pick a vehicle, have water and food, and a destination. If you can, don’t choose highways and to leave at the same time as everyone else. If you do this, you’ll already have a better plan than 99% of people.

Wildfire

Wildfires are one of the cases that you have no choice but to leave. This is one of the most unfortunate situations because there’s a good chance that when you come back, there’s no house at all for you to come back to. Since wildfires are common knowledge in the places where they happen every year, there’s no reason not to prep for that if you live in one of these places.

You should have a bag with important things that you must carry with you to save from the fire. This way, depending on how urgent it is that you leave immediately, you don’t have to leave anything behind or dangerously stall your departure.

In the case of wildfires, the best thing is to have a safe location ready for you at all times. You can also have a network of family and friends where you can go to if you need. The secret is to have this place determined way before anything even happens. This way, you don’t need to waste any time deciding on which place is better for your case.

As always, the plan is to leave earlier. In the case of wildfires, it’s never a good idea to wait. So, if you didn’t leave earlier do it along with everyone else. Have your important possessions ready to be transported and natural resources for the journey.

A good tip is to always pick vehicles that have enough space to store your personal things, resources, and equipment, but that is also not too big that will slow you down. If you follow this tip, you shouldn’t have any problems during your bug out.

Nuclear Attack

This is a major concern even to people who do not consider themselves “preppers”. If someone were to launch nukes it would most likely be a lose-lose situation, although this might not always be the case. While I wouldn’t want to suffer a slow agonizing death from nuclear fallout, there will be situations where survival is feasible.

At the very least is good to know what your options are, know what to expect, and do what you can to prepare yourself for a nuclear strike. I don’t think a nuclear war would kill everyone on the planet, and if someone is going to survive, it might as well be preppers. Although most countries who have nukes seem to hate the United States, which makes things a bit tough.

When you are a target, a big one, in this case, it’s hard to escape unharmed. Still, with the number of bunkers and other options to protect oneself from nuclear attacks, you might have a chance at survival. You need a place that can protect you from the radiation and that you have enough space to store your resources.

A nuclear attack is, perhaps, the worst possible bug out scenario because it’s the one that would cause the most chaos. People have no real idea of what a nuclear attack can cause. The power of destruction is so great that people that survive would likely experience PTSD. Other people would probably go nuts, making the roads very unsafe.

The best you can do here is, again, to have a destination that checks all the security boxes for a nuclear attack for you to go to. Now, you must prep beforehand since you won’t be able to find a place afterward.

Riots

This would be a secondary event that would be caused by a number of different initial events. We have all seen the riots and “protests” recently, and it wouldn’t take much for these to escalate. With the growing divide in this country, it’s only a matter of time before it all comes to a head.

We also need to consider civil unrest in an SHTF type scenario. When people are faced with a crisis, they become both unpredictable, and very predictable at the same time. People will do whatever it takes to survive, even if it means stealing and killing to get it. Besides people would use some crazy logic just to tell themselves that it’s okay to do whatever it is they’re doing.

The truth is that no matter what your political views are, in an SHTF scenario people won’t care what color you vote. If you have any resources they want, they will do whatever it takes to get it.

This is one of the most dangerous and scariest scenarios because, in moments like this, people throw the law in the garbage and start acting like social norms, rules, and laws don’t apply anymore. Chaos begins and anywhere with a human-being becomes life-threatening.

In a situation like this, you should avoid the highway and go to inhabited places. If the latter is not entirely possible, look for places that have the fewest number of people around.

So, the best you can do is avoid populated places and be aware that anyone can be a threat. Therefore, prep for every possibility to make sure that you’re safe in every situation.

Earthquake

Earthquakes have the potential to be the worst disaster that can happen. Depending on the magnitude, the destruction that can cause is just too terrible. Buildings would fall down, the ground would open, many lives would be lost.

On top of that, to make things worse, after the earthquake, a tsunami may rise. As you can already imagine, it’d be chaotic. Unfortunately, current technology is not fast enough to predict an earthquake early enough to give people time to evacuate.

In this case, the best you can do is to have a plan for this situation as well. How to protect yourself inside of your house and what to no next to leave. Places near the beach or near the mountains are the most dangerous because of the risk of tsunamis and avalanches afterward.

West coast is a very likely scenario in which something like this could happen. So, a good tip would be to assess your current location. Depending on the probability of an earthquake happening in your city, you should prep as best as you can for this scenario as well.

Now, if it’s unlikely, it’s still good to have some idea since we never know, but you don’t need to go overboard and spend money that could be used for other more realistic situations.

So, have your resources and escape plan that involves an escape route, vehicle, and destination. Once you have everything in place, you can relax about this bug out scenario as well.

Remember that an earthquake is one of the worst situations because it’s really hard to survive if you’re in the middle of it and it’s hard to leave town.

Running Out of Resources

Even if you are in the middle of the scenario in which there’s no need for you to bug out, certain circumstances may still force you to do it. The most common one is running out of resources. For example, if your water storage and stockpiled food run out and you don’t have a warehouse or grocery store to go to, you may have to bug out.

In this case, you should gather all the remaining resources and had to somewhere that you can have access to them. A good tip is to go to a place that you’re guaranteed to find water and food. For example, the woods.

If you have the skills to survive there, you won’t likely be bothered and won’t have to compete for whatever is left on the shelves of the supermarket. Obviously, you should only go to the mountains or the woods if you have survival skills. Otherwise, you would just be making sure you die faster.

So, remember to gather the remaining resources and head to a place that you can guarantee to find water and food. You should also make sure you have fuel for the vehicle and depending on the season and your location, everything necessary to survive the weather.

Terrorism

In the ’70s and ’80s, terrorism was hijacking airplanes. That all changed on September 11th, 2001 when terrorists successfully attacked the U.S. on the largest scale ever. Today, unfortunately, terrorism is a reality that everyone should be prepared for. Normally, a terrorist attack is not likely to happen and even if it does the goal is way more to generate fear propaganda than to cause actual damage. This means that a terrorist attack has the goal of causing terror and fear in the population.

This decreases people’s perception of safety. In reality, these terrorist attacks aren’t enough to cause an SHTF situation. Still, things could escalate.

What’s the next step that terrorists could take? With everything becoming more dependent on the internet and technology, it seems likely that the next step is a cyber terrorism on a very large scale. This is the moment things can become massively scary.

Nowadays, everything is dependent on a system that is somewhat connected to the internet. If you shut down some of these systems, you can have major consequences. Airplanes would fall from the sky or even crash into each other if their system went out.

Imagine what would happen to the economic market if the Down Jones system stopped working due to an attack. It’d take days, maybe even more time, for everything to go back to normal.

What this all means is that any attack on a major system nowadays would cause at the very least collective hysteria ensuing chaos. In the worst scenarios, you could see airplanes falling from the sky, car crashes due to traffic monitoring being down, and ambulances not being able to help people because their system is also down.

Final Thoughts

These are the most likely bug out scenarios. The best you can do is prepare for each one of them. That’s how you survive. As you may have noticed, some of the strategies intertwine and some of them are completely different. They require different resources, plan, and skill set for you to make it.

Still, the secret here is to prep. As long as you have the resources, the means, and the destination, you can make a safe exit. Now, the best you can do is to make a list of everything you need, including your plan to prepare for everything. For those wanting an effective survival plan to get you prepared the right way, click here.

You may have been preparing for all sorts of natural and nuclear disasters, but have you thought about how to survive a zombie apocalypse? It may seem silly and even ridiculous to the more skeptical prepper, but when you think about it and do your research, you’ll realize that is better to be safe than sorry.

So, I did my research after thinking about the possibility of a zombie apocalypse actually happening. So, how to survive a zombie apocalypse? The results of my research determined that in order to survive a zombie apocalypse we’re going to need way more than any other sort of natural disaster or nuclear incident.  Here’s what you’re going to need.

1. Gather Basic Resources
2. Choose Your Weaponry
3. Protect the Entrances
4. Choose the Right People
5. Have an Exit Plan
6. Pick Your Vehicle

The reasons a zombie apocalypse would require more prepping from you is that no one is coming to save you. Obviously, as a prepper, you’re never really counting with that. Still, here’s the thing. If an EMP happens, the government will still do everything it can to protect its citizen. Plus, America’s allies will have to step in to help. Now, when it comes to a zombie apocalypse happening none of that is a possibility. That’s why you have to be more prepared than ever.

So, below we go into detail to help you prep for everything. If you follow these steps, you’ll have more chances of survival than anyone else.

Gather Resources

The first thing you’re going to need to really make out of this alive is to gather the most basic, yet important, resources that are vital to keeping any human alive. You need shelter, water, food, first aid kit, medication, hygiene kit, and utility supplies.

These utility supplies can be stuff like can openers, knives, flashlights, matches, lighters, batteries. This equipment can increase your chances of survival exponentially.

Now, in any survival situation, you’re going to need shelter since according to the rule of 3 you only last 3 hours without shelter. So, you’re going to need a better place than your house, especially if it’s in the city. If this is your case, wait a few days, if possible, to evacuate the city. In the first few hours everybody will try to take the highways to evacuate, which will cause everybody to be stuck, thus creating a perfect banquet for zombies.

So, wait as much as you can before fleeing your house. While you wait, hide in the attic and any other high places in the house since zombies have a hard time climbing. Basement is not a good idea here.

Once you’re secure in your house and have a shelter, it’s time to think about the most basic supplies; food and water. Ideally, you’ll already have this stored in your house. Water for a few months and canned food for a year. If this is not your case, you’re going to need to go to the nearest grocery store or supermarket. The problem is that most people will do the same, which will cause chaos and fill the place with zombies after you.

Always remember that the most important things are shelter, water, and food. Now, the other things are secondary but still important. So, gather your supplies of medication, first aid kit, hygiene kit, and utility supplies. No one wants to die in a zombie apocalypse because of a minor infection after injuring yourself while on the run.

So, go about it this way. Get basic medicine, heat sources, and tools. Flashlights are practical but it is always good to have a real heat source since they keep you warm and they also kill zombies. For the medication, always have antibiotics and antiseptic. For tools, get the ones that help you fix electrical and mechanical objects and the ones that help you open things.

Once you have basic resources, you’ll have great chances of survival for a few months. Still, if you want to increase your chances of survival and even last for years, you’re going to need more than the basic. It’s time to choose more aggressive protection. After all, you have to be able to kill the zombies.

Choose Your Weapons

It’s time to start your arsenal to make sure you can protect yourself and everyone around you. Now, choosing weapons for a zombie apocalypse isn’t about just getting the biggest gun with most firepower. To survive long-term, you’re going to need a strategy.

Starting with the obvious, choose your firearm of choice. You need to be able to kill zombies without getting too close to them. Here, it’s interesting to have more than one option. For example, automatic and semiautomatic guns are great if you’re facing a big herd of zombies at the moment. You’re going to need a lot of firepower without the need to be constantly reloading. You also want handguns to more direct confrontation.

Then, it’s always good to think long-term. Ammo doesn’t last forever, so the best is to first get as much as you can after the apocalypse started. Then, start thinking about other options of weapons that aren’t firearms.

You can start with baseball bats and machetes. There are relatively light and precise if you know how to use. They sort of function an extension of your arm. You can also go for a bow and arrows if you know how to use them.

Try and avoid weapons like axes or any heavy object like that because you’ll get tired quickly if there are more than 10 zombies. Also, they create an arch every time that you hit, leaving huge vulnerable spots for the zombies to explore.

Once you have your firearms and machetes at the ready, you can think about strategic weapons. Think about grenades and TNT here. Bombs are not only good to kill a bunch of zombies at the same time they’re also great to create a distraction and open way for you to escape.

Still, it’s important to use these weapons carefully because if you start a fire you can’t control you may end up dying by the fire and not the zombies.

Beyond firearms, machetes, bow and arrows, and bombs, you may also consider traps. Think, zombies are not very bright and the best way to kill them is beheading them. So, if you, for example, set a trap with a sharp line that will do exactly that when they walk through a room, you may kill most of them without lifting a finger. You can even set up one of these traps at the entrances of your shelter, which is the next step.

Protect the Entrances

Once you have everything you need to keep your body functioning and all the equipment to kill the brain-hungry zombies, it’s time to reduce the chances of you even having to encounter one. You do that by protecting the entrances. Be this your final shelter or just a temporary one, you have to protect the entrances at all times.

A good rule of thumb is to look for places without windows. They make you too vulnerable to a zombie attack. Avoid shopping malls, supermarkets, and office buildings. Those places tend to have too many entrances to protect and too many windows.

Look for warehouses, prisons (yes you read that right), police stations, and any place that you can find with no more than 2-3 entrances, near to zero windows that is hard to get in. Prisons, in this case, are a great place because they are hard to get in but also get out.

Anyway, about the entrances, the best way is to have cameras monitoring but this may not be available, in which case you should have a plan to secure every entrance at all times.

Besides monitoring the entrances, you should secure them with contingency plans. Set up traps and a way to block them even indefinitely if needed. You need grenades at the entrance and any other killing zombie method in the playbook.

Give preference to anything that can behead them. If you don’t have anything that beheads zombies, you may also go for anything that would slow them down. Since they’re not the brightest bunch, set up obstacles as well. The more time you’re able to gain the more your chances increase to making it out alive.

Assuming you’re in a group, another important thing is to set up a schedule and a system to ensure that everyone is rested while the entrances are still secure. In any survival situation is important that everyone saves the more energy as it ‘s possible for the crucial moments. So, have a system in place to protect the entrances in the most efficient way you can. To do that, you need to surround yourself with the right people, which is the next tip.

Build Your Own Society

Humans are social creatures. No matter how much of an introvert you are, you need social interaction. As humans, we don’t last long without human contact. With time, our mental health decays and we die. So, you need to form your own survival group, clan, or whatever you want to call it.

The best way to survive is in a group. Besides society needs to be rebuilt. You can start a new society with the right individuals. Look for people with different sets of skills and different personalities. Still, remember that if the world pretty much ended a lot of people don’t have reasons to continue to follow the law or any other rules. So, it’s important to establish leadership and have some rules to hold the group together.

Now, it’s important to point out that choosing the right people is not about excluding others. Unless they’re a risk for the group. The main criteria that you can use are to choose people based on their personalities and skills. For example, it might come in handy to have a doctor and a police officer around. It’s important to have a practical, logical person the same way you need someone that empathizes with others.

Have a good mix to make sure that you have all sorts of perspectives to increase your chances and the group’s chance of survival. The more important thing though is to remember that you must have a leadership be it yours or someone better suited for the job.

When you don’t have authority, everyone does what’s best for them and not the group. This can get everyone killed that’s why it’s important to have an authority figure to keep things in perspective. With all that, start choosing the group to form the new society.

Find a Good Place to Hide

Chances are your house is not the best place to start civilization again or even to hide for a few days. So, the best you can do is to have a place to hide. Even if you have intentions of staying in your house for as long as it’s possible. You still will want to have a plan B. A place near the mountain or the woods may be an interesting start since these locations usually have clean water, available food, and are more remote, which means fewer zombies.

Fortresses, castles, or even prisons may also be another option. You should look for places in remote areas, with difficult access points, and that is big enough to accommodate your group. Prisons, for example, have control towers where you can place a sniper to eliminate any approaching threat.

You should also choose a place with entrances that you can control and that you can use to scape fast. Remember that if a herd of zombie approach and their entrance is inevitable, people tend to panic which worsens everything. So, it’s important to have a good exit strategy so no one is left behind, or worse, everybody dies.

You also have to think about food when it comes to your new place. If you have intentions of staying there for a long time, it’s important to think of a way of getting more food. Now, you may have a local warehouse or grocery store around, but chances are that the food will expire or the supply will end. So, the best thing you do is to start cultivating vegetable and fruits.

It may sound difficult or just not great but you should consider planting and hunting what you eat. This way you don’t become dependent on finding warehouses or any other place to get your food.

If you stockpiled the right kind of food, it’s possible that you already have around 5 years’ worth of food stored. This gives you plenty of time to learn to plant and start doing it, so you can replace the canned food.  Then, pick somewhere that you can plant and maybe even have some animals for consumption.

Pick Your Vehicle

One of the biggest inventions that humanity ever created was cars. When you’re in the middle of a zombie apocalypse, you’re going to need to move fast and get out of places even faster.

This is why you should choose different methods of transportation. Besides cars, you should also consider other things. For example, boats and planes. Also, if a cure never happens, you may consider other transportation methods that do not involve fuel like horses. These animals may prove themselves invaluable once you don’t have gas anymore.

So, consider having as many different ways to move around the country as you can. Boats can also be a great place to hide unless there are shark zombies or orc zombies. Also, being in a boat with the chance of someone getting infected and not having where to go, may not be the best idea.

So, stick with selecting a few different ways to move around the country and fleeing a place in case the zombies get inside your fortress. Just make sure that the tank is always full and that you have a backup vehicle.

Final Thoughts

So, if you follow these tips you’ll increase your chances of surviving the zombie apocalypse. First, you should worry about getting away from the worst zone. Then, it’s time to plan long-term. You’ll have to worry about a place to stay and rebuild some resemblance of civilization.

Once you secure basic resources and weapons, you can pretty much last way longer than most people will. Also, remember that satellites will work for about 6 months without maintenance, so make the most out of GPS and any other functionality that you may need to locate a safe spot.

At last, have a place for everything, including for the worse. Unless you want to die a painful death of being eaten by zombies and joining their army, plan even for what to do in case you don’t have an exit.

As you can see, surviving a zombie apocalypse is a matter of prepping and strategizing the right way instead of luck or depending on the government or anyone else to save you. All you need is your brains and a will to survive it.

To prep with no money sounds impossible. Now, it is quite difficult than otherwise, but with the right mindset and creativity, you can do it. I was thinking recently, how someone with no money would do to prep. Obviously, the easiest way to solve this problem is to find ways to make money like a part-time job or any sort of side hustle that one can do.

Still, not everyone can actually do that, and it would also miss the point that is if it’s possible to start prepping with no money. So, I started to think about the basic requirements that you need to start prepping and all the equipment and food that you’ll need to have. With that in mind, I did my research to see if it was possible to get those things with little to no money. So, how to start prepping with no money? According to my findings there are a few options to fix the money problem and they aren’t making more money. You’re going to need the following to start prepping with no money.

1. Coupons
2. Buy In Bulks
3. Canned Food
4. Barter
5. One-Dollar Store
6. Free Stuff
7. Cultivate Your Own Resources

So, below I go into detail about every one of your options. This way you can actually plan and come up with the perfect strategy for yourself. Remember, good prepper stores every resource that might be needed. A great one comes up with a system and a strategy to make sure everything will be alright when an SHTF situation occurs.

Although you might get most of your survival gear and items with little or no money, you might want to grow food. For a nominal fee, you can get a plan that guides you to grow your own food that you can stockpile. Click here to get more information.

Coupons

This is the most obvious way to start stockpiling food and storing bottled water with little to no money. With the right coupon strategy, you can spend only pennies instead of a few hundreds of dollars.

What you need is to first make a list of what you’re going to need and eliminate everything else. It’s easy to get caught up into the coupon game and start getting coupons and spending money on items you don’t actually need.

So, what you’re going to need is to make that list, and then, start scavenging online and on newspapers for coupons. Most big retailers have some sort of coupon program for you to find the right kind of food for prepping. You may also find coupons for items that you’re going to need such as tools, and equipment to set up your plan.

Now, coupons are not enough if you don’t know how to use them and with what to use them for. As you know, water is one of the most important items on your prepping list, but bottled water has an expiration day. So, consider those kinds of things.

For example, don’t waste coupons on food that will expire in less than a year. You may still buy food that will last a year or so as long as you keep an eye on your inventory to make sure it doesn’t go all to waste. A good tip is to look into what sort of food lasts years without much need for conservation. These are the best kind. You can leave there in your basement, or wherever it is that stockpiled food, and forget about it.

As a good prepper, you know that you never really know when something is going to happen, so it’s better to count with resources that will last you a lifetime. So, make sure to use the coupons to make smart choices with the items you’re going to need. Develop a strategy to find the coupons, and then, how you’re going to use them.

Buy in Bulk

The best way to prep with a very limited amount of money is to buy things in bulk. This way, you always get a nice discount on whatever is the item that you’re buying. A good tip here is to look for wholesale and salvage grocery stores. In the latter, you can buy items that are close to the expiration date for a fraction of the price. It isn’t uncommon to find items costing 1/10 of the original price.

Also, when you buy in bulks the establishment is able to provide you with a bigger discount. Just think about it, most of the big retailers are able to provide a lower price compared to the local store. This happens because they buy in larger quantities from the manufacturers, thus allowing them to demand a better price.

If you buy in bulks, you can also ask the store manager to give you a discount. It may not always work, but you’ll be surprised at how many times it will. Obviously, the number that you’re buying in bulks will be relevant to the manager depending on how big the store actually is.

Anyway, the salvage grocery stores are the best option if you want to really save money. Now, since the items are close to an expiration date, you’re going to either replace them constantly or research which ones aren’t actually that bad if you eat them. An interesting fact is that most of the expiration date in the food industry is just a guideline and a way to prevent you from suing the manufacturer. A lot of times when the expiration date has passed, it’s still safe to eat.

Buy everything in bulks and buy some items offseason, in bulks, as well. For example, a lot of fruits last a long time especially if you buy them offseason. A secret to maintaining the fruit that way for longer is to freeze them. This way you prevent the fruit to eliminate the gas that accelerates the process of making it ripe, and then, rotten.

Canned Food

So far, I’ve been telling you how to get food, but we didn’t discuss what food to get. Obviously, that is totally up to you. Still, if you have ever been inside the house of a prepper, you know that there’s a lot of water stored and canned food. This is because canned food lasts a long time.

It’s possible to have food stored for decades and still be okay to consume it. For those reasons canned food is one of the best options to stockpile food. Not only that but canned food is cheap. In the example above of the salvage grocery store, it’s always good to look for canned food. They get even cheaper if you buy them in bulks.

Now, canned food is not the best, most of the time, but you’re not prepping for the holidays. You’re prepping for when SHTF. When shopping for canned food, look for the ones with a satisfactory expiration date, the ones with a lot of protein and fat, and the ones that also have liquid in the can. These things will make sure it lasts longer and that you get the necessary energy for your body to function at optimal levels when you needed.

Canned food unites the best of the worlds of coupons and buying in bulks. With the right strategy, you can have 5 aisles of canned food in your house ready for you and your family when you need them. Just make a list of all the variety of canned foods that you want and start hunting for the best prices and opportunities that you can find.

As a final reminder on canned food, remember that a few of them aren’t perfect for prepping. Canned fish tends to not be the best to stockpile, still, you can have them. Just don’t make them the main star on your list.

Barter

If you really have zero dollars, barter may be for you. This is the oldest financial transaction although it doesn’t involve money. This is how most people did business before gold and then paper money. It’s an old concept but thanks to the internet it’s changing recently. Not only that, it’s a great idea for everyone even people with money for prepping.

Basically, you trade something for something. This usually means that you trade an object for another object, but it may also be a service. The sense of community that barter brings is infectious. You can barter with whoever is interested in it, or you can look for other preppers and start your own network.

If you have access to any resource that you can trade for food, water, and tools you’re already good to get started. The secret to barter is to establish the value that you give to every item that you have to trade and the items that you need to trade for. This way, you make a fair trade for both sides. If you search online, there’s always someone in need of something you might have and not even want.

So, if you’re interested in getting serious about barter, make a list of the available resources that you have that you can trade for something that you need and the skills that you possess that may be valuable to other people. The secret here is to be creative. Actually, being creative is what you’re going to have to be if you want to succeed at prepping with no money.

Once you have your list, you should start looking for people to barter in online forums and communities of preppers. Facebook is also another great place to get started. Obviously, the best people to start bartering with are other preppers or people who actively barter. Here, you won’t find resistance to the idea at all.

One Dollar Store

The One Dollar store might be a goldmine for you. You just have to know what to look for when in one. You may have watched YouTube videos or even TV shows with people going to the one-dollar store nearby and having to accomplish the challenge of buying stuff with only $10. This sounds ridiculous at first, but in the end you realize how many interesting things you can get with that little.

Now, to succeed at one-dollar stores you must know what you want. This is because you’re going to profit more if you’re looking for utility tools and things of that nature instead of food. Some one-dollar stores do have food but they’re either expired or close to it.

The best strategy is to look for lighters, flashlights, knives, can openers, stuff like this that you know you’re going to need and that you’ll have to use at some point. It’s even possible to get some of this stuff and post on eBay to get more money to buy the food and the tools you’re going to need.

One-dollar stores do require that you have some money but it’s so cheap that anyone would have it. This is by far the best method to get some of the tools you’re going to need to survive when shtf. It’s even better than coupons. So, do your research and prepare your list of what you need and go shopping.

As a prepper the best thing you can do is an inventory of what you need that you don’t currently have. This way you can get the necessary items and be prepared for everything. This is how you survive while the rest of the world is in chaos. Just remember to get only the items that you actually need. It’s easy to feel the urge to buy everything in a one-dollar store since everything is so cheap.

Free Stuff

There are a few ways to go about this and some are very unpleasant. You’re going to need a lot of stomach to do it, but it may be really worth it. The other ones are just inconvenient but still a great way to get free stuff that you might need. Whatever way you choose, you’ll get one step closer to prepping the right way.

First, you can dumpster dive. Before you get engrossed by the idea, relax. It’s not as bad as it sounds. Dumpster dive would require you to go to grocery stores, commercial buildings, construction sites, and maybe the unpleasant residential locations.

Grocery stores throw away perfect food all the time. Sometimes it’s because it’s not pretty enough so someone will buy it, and sometimes it passed the expiration day but it’s not rotten. They’re legally required to not sell anything that expired, which doesn’t mean that you can get it for yourself. They also can’t give it to you, but you can get it after they throw it away. You can find all sorts of food in perfect conditions such as bread, milk, cookies, beans, rice, and everything in between. This is the best way to get started. Drive around one and see for yourself.

Another interesting option is a commercial building. There you’re going to find mostly cardboards and stationery. Some of these things may be useful to you for prepping. The good thing is that since it doesn’t involve organic garbage, the chances of you encountering anything unpleasant is very low.

Then, you can go to construction sites. There, you’re going to find copper, aluminum, wood, concrete, and all sorts of things that might be of service to build something in your house to store food or protect yourself. You can even use something to increase security.

At last, you can go to residential areas, especially apartment buildings. You can find a lot of interesting stuff in there. Take your chances at the end of every month and see it for yourself.

Cultivate Your Own Resources

This is not only great for the sake of it, but you can also cultivate your own food to barter for other things. If you plant your own vegetables and fruits, for example, you not only will have enough to feed your family but if there’s something left, you can use to trade for tools.

Just do some research on how to plant and make the seed thrive. Then, create a plan to have food the whole year since some vegetables and fruits are seasonable.

Another great idea is that if you have space and the resources, you may even get small animals such as chickens and pigs. This is a little more complicated but can be done even if you live in a big city.

So, cultivate your own food to later consume and barter. This way, you also won’t be dependent on supermarket and other stores when shtf. Some foods are also great to store water, which can be a plus.

The whole idea is that you become more self-sufficient. Also, if you can, cultivate your food in a closed space, at least some of it, since natural disasters may ruin everything. Still, it’s important to store what you harvest properly to make sure it’ll last for years.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, if you use your creativity, there are a lot of options to start prepping with no money. Now, it doesn’t mean that you won’t have to be thoughtful about it and work harder than other folks, but you can do it. That’s what matters.

The secret here is to use that creativity and create your own strategy that works for you to get all the resources you need. Be smart about it and you won’t have to worry.

So, go to the store with the right strategies and look for the right places. Cultivate your own food, barter, and network with the right-minded people. This is how you prep with no or little money.

For those deciding to grow their own food, click here for a plan that helps you do this effectively and successfully.

The sky is falling! Humans have been fascinated for a millennium of the possibility that the end of the world as we know it will come to pass. In reality, it is probable that the end of life on earth will happen. There are many potential threats out there that under the ‘right’ circumstances can destroy us in the blink of an eye.

So is it feasible for a newbie prepper to even plan for such an event taking place? The answer is yes. As a responsible prepper, one always has to hold on to hope in the face of any adversity one might encounter. If the worst should occur, at least you can go out knowing you tried your best.

With that premise, I began to research how may one begin to prep for doomsday. According to my findings, the following steps should be taken to properly prepare you and your family for such a horrific event:

1. Mental and Spiritual Preparation
2. Identify Potential Doomsday Scenarios
3. Deciding to Hunker Down or Evacuate
4. Collect Doomsday Supplies and Gear
5. Implement the Doomsday Plan
6. Practice and Revise the Plan

But as they say, “The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” No matter how carefully a project is planned, something may still go wrong. This is a crucial point. Your plans and strategies must be dynamic and able to adapt to unknown factors that may arise or you may find yourself and family with little to no options. You could never go wrong with having additional survival plan that can help you get it all together. Click here to get this plan now.

Gaining the Mental & Spiritual Edge

If you talk to the average person about doomsday, their usual first reaction is to think that you are crazy or misguided. The truth of the matter is that because of all the media and noise on the radio or big screen, many have been lulled into what is called normalcy bias.  Often called the ostrich effect. Normalcy bias is the underestimating or the refusal to believe that any real disaster may exist since it has never happened. Therefore, it will never occur.

So with this ill-conceived notion, most people will fail to act or react when faced with pending danger. You can already conclude what most likely will happen to such individuals. You can look back in history and see the consequences of those who refused to see. Fortunately, you are the one who is aware that such disasters may occur without warning and without mercy.

Sadly, when talking to family members or close friends, even those within your inner circle, this may result in them simply dismissing or ignoring you. Your ideas thus fall on deaf ears. With all of this rejection, you may feel alone and helpless. I should know, it initially happened to me.

But, if your resolve is strong enough to move forward and make the necessary preparations and planning for the many possible catastrophic events, in fact, you may find purpose, and the needed inner strength to get everything into place, not only for yourself but for those who you love and cherish.

In my experience, I made many of the necessary arrangements without my spouse. Since I made these preparations without her knowledge, I proceeded slowly taking the path of least resistance. I implemented baby steps starting with researching, planning, organizing all the essential preparations which would not be so overt as to raise panic or concern. Unless there was an actual doomsday situation, my family would not truly see the benefits from the fruits of my work at the beginning.

To tell you the truth, I hoped they never would need to know. Eventually, my loved ones began to recognize and appreciate my efforts. Through hurricanes and floods, my level of preparedness was evident. It took, however, a reasonable amount of time. Nearly a decade later, my family members and even some friends have begun to approach me and in some cases participate in preparing for the possibility of an upcoming disaster. It is through patience, understanding, and diligence in preparation that those close to you may come to see the need. Most importantly, is to never lose sight of your goals and to keep the faith that this path will lead to safety.

Whether you are a person of faith or not, there are those who believe it is a spiritual or universal obligation and duty to prep for any and all types of calamities.  Throughout our human existence,  man has expressed these thoughts in their teaching and quotes. For example;

• “Divide your portion to seven, or even to eight, for you do not know what misfortune may occur on the earth.”
• “Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
• “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”
• “There’s no harm in hoping for the best as long as you’re prepared for the worst.”

There is historical evidence to suggest the societal need for prepping. Whole civilizations have either continued or ended due to their lack of having planned for the worst. But, one cannot rely on others to provide the essentials you and your family will need. So it is a moral responsibility to do all that is in your power to have as much planning and preparation when and if the time comes to act. For when the time comes you should only have to hope, wish or pray for the best.

Potential TEOTWAWKI Scenarios

There are numerous events that can cause the demise of humans. Some are man-made, others are natural. I developed a list of many of the potential life-changing to ending scenarios that may or will occur. Although there are some events that can lead to a “Mad Max” world, the ones I cover below, as stated by experts, are potentially what is called “total killers.”  In no particular order, the threats are;

1. Nuclear Disaster/War
   This threat is very real. The bombs of today are 1000’s of times more powerful than the first one dropped on Japan. There are scientific predictions to say there is a five percent chance this will happen during the next 100 years.
2. Pandemic
   H1N1, SARs, and The Plague are but a few of the many bacterias and viruses that can infect the world population to annihilation.  The likelihood that one single virus or bacteria will end us is extremely remote. According to some scientists, it would have to be a strain that could infect the whole population within a week or so. If not, our body’s immune system would eventually find a way to overcome it.
3. Supervolcanic Eruption
   There have been mass eruptions in earth’s past, enough lava and ash have erupted into the atmosphere to cause mass extinction events. However, in modern times, according to geologists, no volcanoes currently exist with the potential magnitude of such destruction. According to the experts, the media has misused the phrase supervolcanic eruption to mean any large size volcano. The chance of an earthquake unzipping the worlds fault system is negligible.
4. Magnetic Pole Shift
   This is similar to what occurs when you bring two magnets of the same polarity together. They push part. So it is possible that the surface of the earth will move away from each other so much that the crust moves to the opposite side. This would cause a close to 100 percent destruction and end of life for humans. However, estimates predict this ever occurring to be about 1 to 2 percent in our lifetime.
5. Asteroid/Comet Collision
   Scientists have been monitoring the celestial bodies that are moving around in outer space for decades. Closely monitored is the rock debris that is at least 460 feet wide. Rocks this size if they hit earth, would cause total devastation. According to officials, there is no imminent threat from such an event for at least the next 100 years.
6. Outer Space Alien Invasion
   One automatically thinks of little green men when discussing visitation from outer space creatures. In this case, however, we are talking about microbes that might land by an asteroid or returning astronauts after a space mission. It is possible for some organism to survive the trip from outer space attached to a spacecraft and land on a predator-free environment. Who knows the consequences that may have upon human populations. Scientists and astronauts take every precaution to minimize such a threat. However, it is not one hundred percent. By the way, a hostile little green men visitation is very possible. Some think they are already here.
7. Algae Apocalypse
   There is a possibility that “killer” algae can emerge to “gas” humans to death.  Scientists at CalTech have been studying this and say there is a remote chance that a mutated form of algae can arise. Diatoms, a microscopic form of algae, break down water to release hydrogen and oxygen gases into the atmosphere. It is conceivable that a mutant strain might prefer to pick salt rather than water. It, therefore, would separate salt to release chlorine gas which is poisonous to all living things. This might sound far-fetched but it has happened in earth’s past about 2.3 billion years ago.
8. Climate Change
   Temperature over the entire earth would rise or fall having a devastating effect upon all living creatures. These changes could cause extreme and intense weather phenomena, rising or falling sea levels and changing the earth’s landscape. There are those who believe that these changes are due to the burning of fossil fuels while others say it is a natural process experienced throughout history. But, over the next 200 years, there’s a 5 percent chance that the impacts of climate change will end our existence.
9. Supernova Explosion
   It is conceivable that a massive supernova may eject dangerous levels of gamma and cosmic rays into our solar system. This is one of the most powerful natural forces known. It would have catastrophic effects on both the living and the earth’s biome. The chance of being bombarded by such an event is extremely remote. The nearest threat is about 33 light years away, too far to do any real damage.
10.  Artificial Intelligence Revolt
    For those who have seen the movie”Terminator”, understand this threat too well.  According to experts, there is a one in 1oo chance that AI would rise and eliminate humans from existence. However, there are those who also believe that this advanced technology and supercomputers can benefit humankind and help pave the way for bettering our lives and help maintain life on our planet.
11. Human Population Demise
    There is a theory among mathematicians that states there is a finite number of humans that can ever exist. By their calculations, human’s have crossed the halfway point on the human timeline.  So they suggest since there have been 70 billion people since the beginning of time, there will only be a total of 1.7 trillion humans according to mathematical formulas. But don’t be too overly concerned, it will be another 10,000 years before that maximum number is reached.
12. Man-Made Black Holes
    It is in the laboratory where physicists have been attempting to reproduce a miniature version of a black hole. A black hole is a  part of space in which no gravity nor matter can escape. Anything that gets too close to it causes that object to be sucked into and never to return. Such an attempt to create a microscopic size black hole is being made in the CERN laboratory.  They state that when applying Einstein’s theory of relativity to the experiments it is impossible for a black hole to be created. I guess only time will tell.

After reviewing these potential life-ending examples, it seems preposterous that any sane person would ever think of not preparing for these events. I doubt in my lifetime I will experience any of them but just in case a general emergency preparation and planning always be considered, You and your family may not face any one of the calamities mentioned above, but let me assure you, there are plenty of other life-altering events that are within the realm of possibilities. FEMA commercials and readiness propaganda exist and are aired quite regularly during times of hurricanes, tornados, flooding, forest fires and all recommend a family emergency plan.

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

Depending on the type of doomsday disaster, you will need to make the decision if it is best to just stay securely at your current location or to evacuate. In some cases, however, this decision will be made for you.  But if you should hunker down you want to think about the following key words of advice according to expert James Wesley Rawles;

Hunkering Down

• You need to secure a water supply that will provide at least 1 gallon of water per person per day. You must have redundant ways of filtering a questionable water source. Remember if you do not have water, within three days you will die!
• The plan should be to have 6 months supply of food stored.  Comfort food is a must, especially for younger kids. You also want to include vitamin supplements. Fuel is a must if you intend to cook. Keep ABC fire extinguishers on hand.
• Without running water, sewage becomes a problem. You might have to make plans to store your waste if you live in an apartment. A redundancy plan is to have a compost toilet or buckets with a large supply of lime may suffice. Learn how to dispose of waste by looking up videos online.
• Living in a cold region can be a serious matter. Having a small heater or lots of candles to keep warm can be a matter of life or death. Fuel is a must if you intend to cook. Be aware of ventilation and removal of any fire hazards. You want to have battery powered smoke detectors.
• Securing your location is extremely important. Finding ways to barricade all possible entryways is a must. You need readily available self-defense weapons to use for protection.
• Be vigilant and alert. Try to keep informed. Exercise to stay limber and physically ready especially if you need to evacuate.

The decision to stay should not be a knee-jerk reaction. Rather,  you want to be keeping abreast to the goings on around your community, state and federal response to your potentially apocalyptic crisis. But one needs to know the signs.  From various sources, these are the signs that might signal it’s time to leave bug out:

The Signs to Leave

• Grocery store’s shelves are noticeably and consistently empty of foodstuff.
• Notice prominent business, political and celebrity leaders missing from the public eye.
• Failure of emergency response services to provide needed assistance to the public.
• A major movement of troops and police forces in urban areas.
• Consistent rolling “black” or “brown” outs throughout urban or rural areas.
• An official declaration of emergency measures taken by local, state and or federal government and law enforcement.
• Continuous media coverage of national and local disturbances, arrests or terrorist activity on a mass scale.
• Inability to withdraw funds from atm machines or banks. Bank closures without warning locally and nationally.
• Medical care facilities warned to anticipate a higher volume of mass casualties.
• Mass political and economic turmoil overseas.
• The breakdown in the delivery system (e.g. trailer trucks) of food, merchandise, and fuel.
• Recall of foreign embassy personnel and ambassadors.
• Political leaders at the federal government level drop out of sight for a period of time.
• Authorities restricting citizens from relocating to another region or foreign country
• Restrictions or limitations on changing your money into a foreign currency

It will probably be multiple or a combination of the above-mentioned signals within a few weeks that you will need to make the decision to either move out to a more sustainable, defensible and safer retreat or stay and fortify your current location. Where you go is another point of discussion.

Bugging Out

Whether it is best to stay or leave your home is a matter of your threat assessment. Fernando Aguirre, who lived through Argentina’s tumultuous economic crisis of 2001, shares his insights on determining when bugging out is best.  According to Aguirre, bugging out does not exclusively mean escaping into the boondocks to live off the land as a solitary bare-knuckle survivalist.

It is most likely you will gather your family and move to a predetermined safe location such as another friend or families house. Usually, this is because there is strength in numbers. You have extra hands to prepare and set up all necessary preparations for a period of time.

However, depending on the severity of the doomsday threat, moving a long distance or abroad may be the only best solution. However, this decision would probably need to be made within days.  Unless you have some legal right to be travel (have property in another state or passport of another country), you may not have an option to leave. State and international borders might be closed.

You and your family might even be forced into a refugee or detention center.  Therefore, It is essential to plan way ahead of time when and where you will go. So it is without saying, you want to and need to recognize the signs around you ahead of time before it’s too late.

Better to Have Then to Have Not

Whether you decide to ‘Bug In” or Bug Out,” there are basic emergency preparedness gear and supplies you want to have. These are the categories and some basic example items  you want to consider that works for either staying put or escaping ;

1. Shelter and Clothing 
   Blanket, Tarp, Work Gloves, Poncho,  Emergency Bivy, Socks, Gloves, Long Sleeve Shirt, Pants, Underwear, Bandana, Sleeping Bag
   
2. Fire/Light
   Waterproof Lighter, Waterproof  Matches, Matches & Striker, Headlamp, Firestarter, Flashlight w Batteries, Gas Canister
   
3. Information/Documents
   Birth certificates, Passports, Immunization records, Cash (in a variety of small bills), Legal documents (Will, Power of Attorney, Trust, etc.), All necessary medical information (prescriptions, etc.), Documentation involving military and church, Marriage certificates, Adoption papers (if applicable), Current photographs of family members, Insurance Documents, Financial Documents, Waterproof Paper & Pen/Pencil, Survival Guides
   
4. Signaling/Communication
   Whistle, Two-Way Radio, Walkie Talkie, CB, Mini Ham Radio, Band Radio, Mirror
5. Navigation
   Compass, Map (with premarked various escape routes), GPS, Wrist Watch
6. Water
   Purification Tablets, Filter Water Bottle, Portable Water Filter, Powdered Electrolyte & Flavoring, Extra Purified Bottled Water, Water Containers
7. Food
   Extra Everyday Use Food, Long-term Storage Food Packets or Cans, Feel Good Food, Spices & Condiments, Canned Meats, Planting Seeds
8. First/Aid/Hygiene/Meds
   Pain Relievers, Sm. First Aid Kit, Alcohol Wipes, Toilet Paper, Tooth Brush/Paste, Baby Wipes, Year Supply of Extra Prescription Meds, Antibiotic Packet, Soap, Women Hygienic Pads   
9. Safety & Protection & Hunting
   Folding Survival Knife,  Shotgun, Handgun, Cane, Baseball Bat, Alarm System,  Stun Gun, Crossbows, Pellet Gun, Sling
10. Miscellaneous Gear
    Bug Out Bag, Sewing Kit, Cordage/Paracord, Duct Tape, Multi-tool, Cash/Coins, Play Cards

The items above were mentioned by different experts in survivalism and emergency preparedness in previous research I conducted. The small list above is to get you to begin to think about prepping and for you to start locating the necessary items you will need for you and your family.

Putting It All Together

Only God knows when doomsday will occur.  Therefore, it is prudent to start getting yourself prepared right now for the unexpected. You may start with the steps mentioned above with hopes of including family and friends. No man is an island. Developing a community of like-minded people eventually will help to bring like-minded individuals with different talents to make a potentially dire situation not only survivable but hopefully.  Once this team comes together, you will have additional resources that will benefit all involved. Nobody loses. Diversity is survival.

If you are still wanting another plan to add to your emergency doomsday prepping, click here to get it now.

Practice, Test and Try Again

As you put everything in place, you need to be vigilant and make sure that the measures you implemented work. If they do not, change and adapt. Fix it, change it and if it does not work, seek others who can solve your problem.  Once it works, make sure you and others know how to use it. Then you should practice or apply what you have learned and,” practice, practice, practice!”  You do not have to go overboard. If you are incorporating younger members into your “doomsday” group, make sure to provide the opportunity for them to get involved and learn. They need to feel not only a part of something but also empowered.

There are many “armchair” survivalists who buy prepper items but never bother to open the packaging to test the purchased product. Touch your gear. Play with it. Replace what does not work and add to it when you need to do so. Be aware of expiration dates especially for food and prescription medicines.  Have plenty of redundancies, especially when it comes to water filtration and fire.  It may mean a matter of life or death.

I had a garage full of prepper supplies. One day, the guy living next door decided to take his own life and proceeded to set fire to his home. He purposely set out ammunition to explode. This delayed firefighters from extinguishing the blaze. The fire was about to jump to our side and torch the garage that stored years of survival gear. As I watch this event unfolding, it made me realize, that no matter how much you prepare, chance and destiny plays a huge part in the end. You really have very little control. So do what you can and do not be overly concerned with not having enough training or supplies. I truly believe with faith and hope all is possible and don’t ever give up.