This page was written by Citizen Dave.
Prepping 101: Preparing your Home for War
Preparing Yourself, Your Family, and Your Home to Survive a Wartime Economy, Shortages, and Cyber Attacks on Critical Infrastructure that we rely upon for our daily survival.
Don't Just Buy Stuff - Learn Real Skills by Doing, Using, and Experimenting
There are plenty of 'Prepping' websites, YouTube Channels, books, and videos on the topic - so there is no need for us to re-invent the wheel here, BUT we will give you a brief overview to help get you started on your preparedness journey.
We're About to Be Tested. Are You Ready?
Jan 31, 2025 | 8 min | City Prepping (on YouTube)
THE MOST SERIOUS THREAT WE FACE IS...
The Power Grid being hacked/disabled if at war.
“If the grid went down for a long enough time…
90 percent of the U.S. population would die from starvation, lack of water, and social disruption. We are talking about total devastation.”
-- Ambassador Henry Cooper, Former Director of U.S. Strategic Defense
NO POWER = NO WATER, NO SEWER, EXTREME SHORTAGES, PRICES SKY-ROCKET,
SHUT-DOWN OF BUSINESSES, STORES, SCHOOLS & HOSPITALS, MANY LOSE THEIR JOBS, LOOTING & BREAK DOWN OF LAW & ORDER
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What to Plan For: The Initial Chaos Period (2 to 4 months)
Today, when major countries go to war, they first attempt to hack and disable each other's critical infrastructure starting with the Power Grid. The Power Grid is the main target and key prize since it also takes down most everything else. Other targets include water and sewer, energy sectors, government, military bases, ports, banking, factories, industries, and businesses.
When the Power Grid Goes Down - What to Expect (Video Playlist)
Grid DOWN, Power UP Documentary (Video Playlist)
AFTER the Initial Chaos Period: The New Normal (Section at Bottom of Page)
When the Power Grid goes down, expect major disruption in society...
Loss of your Job, Breakdown in Law and Order, Shortages of Food, Water, and Fuel, and a very significant increase in the cost of everything.
During this Initial Chaos Period, many who were not prepared will die and will resort to looting, violence, and criminal behavior in their last gasp to live and provide for their family.
Expect major wide-spread looting, rioting, and roving gangs that easily overwhelm police and sheriff capabilities - so you will be on your own to defend your home and family. Staying put in your home and making it a stronghold during the Initial Chaos Period will see you through until civil society and business is very slowly restored. Having enough food and water stores in a Long-Term Storage Pantry to ride out this will be critical to one's survival.
The estimate of 2 to 4 months paints an optimistic view and belief in the ingenuity, resilience, and spirit of Americans to return to a state of order and restoration of business and peace and the American way-of-life.
Learn by Doing!
There is a hugh difference between book knowledge, theory, and the confidence of knowing through doing and experience.
Turn your Power Breakers Off. Practice living without power.
Start a Back Yard Food Vegetable Garden.
Grow Indoor Window Herbs.
Raise a Handful of Chickens.
Camp Out in Your Back Yard.
Learn Fishing and Hunting.
COMMON TERMS: a SHTF event (Shit Hits The Fan, i.e. a major disaster), Homesteading (backyard garden/farm to a full family farm/ranch)
THE BASICS: Food, Water, Cash, & Cooking Equipment
2 to 3 weeks | For regular disasters, FEMA recommends every home store 2 to 3 weeks of food and water, plus assorted tools, flashlights, and batteries.
3 to 4 MONTHS | For a major nation-wide Power Grid Down disaster, we recommend a minimum of 3 to 4 months of food and water to survive the Initial Chaos Period.
CASH IS KING. With no power, there is no credit card network. Cash will be the only way to purchase things, besides barter. Do expect prices to soar and inflation to significantly rise. While Gold and Silver does have its place, most purchases initially will be on a Cash Only basis. Gold would be used for only very large purchases. Silver would be useable for everyday purchases, but only in fractional forms (units smaller than an ounce, like the Mexican fractional silver peso).
COOKING EQUIPMENT that fits your specific needs will depend on your surroundings and available resources. Gasoline-based systems can be used by all. See the Coleman Dual Fuel Equipment below. If living in a rural environment, wood burning options like a rocket stove would be key along with assorted tree sawing and axes to cut wood with. If living in a city or urban area, solar ovens become more reasonable option. Everyone should have TWO DIFFERENT TYPES of cooking systems to give you redundancy.
RECOMMENDATION - COOKING EQUIPMENT
Even during the Great Depression and World War 2, gasoline was still available. Universally usable is the Coleman Dual Fuel system that burns 'white fuel' including unleaded gasoline and kerosene.
Various equipment includes: Single Burner Model 533 ~$110USD [on Amazon] (very popular, small, portable, reliable); the Green Camp Stove ~$200USD (2 burners, larger tank, sui, wind protector); and Dual Fuel Lantern ~$115USD [on Amazon].
Remember to get a fuel funnel [on Amazon] ~$11USD , a small gas can and a manual siphon hose (with hand pump) to pull fuel out of your car's fuel tank.
Coleman Dual Fuel 533 Single Burner DEMO
1 min
Coleman Dual Fuel Camp Stove
1 min
Coleman Dual Fuel Lantern DEMO
30 sec
THE BASICS: Starting a Long-Term Storage Pantry?
Try not to let your imagination overwhelm you. Starting a long-term storage pantry is not as complex as one might think. Every time you shop for groceries, simply purchase a few extra non-perishable items of what you normally purchase - plus bottled water.
Most people cannot afford large, bulk purchases and have to build up slowly over time. Starting this habit as-soon-as-possible will open up your eyes and begin you on this journey - taking one more step away from starvation. It's said that the Journey of a Thousand Miles begins with the first step. So, Step Into It. The further you go the more you will understand, be more prepared, and feel more confident and safe if disaster comes your way.
Emergency Preparedness - Food & Water
2 min | UCLA
15 Items The Red Cross Wants You To Stockpile Today!
25 min | Survival Know How
How to Store Water
For beginners, Store-Bought Bottled Water is the easiest and most cost-effective way to begin. Distilled Water Bottles can be stored for about 1 year. Other Spring Water or Tap Water will last about 6 months. Beyond this, chemical treatment is required to prevent bacteria and eliminate slime build-up. SEE: Water Storage, Filtration, and Treatment for more details.
If you own property, adding a water well could be cheaper in the long-run and the key to your survival. Most cities and counties allow you to add a shallow well with no prior approval needed from a planning/zoning board. These are commonly installed and used for watering lawns and gardens without using and paying for municipal water rates, and which also have chlorine in it that kills grass and plants. Well pipes and pumps (electric, solar, and manual) can be bought and installed yourself or you can hire a well drilling company.
What Food to Store
Can Goods and Dry Goods are at the core of most preppers' long-term pantry. The cheapest and longest stored food items are Dry Goods like rice and beans. These can easily last 6 to 10 years in a dark cool storage closet, if it's kept in its original sealed bag or re-packaged to keep moisture and buggies out. If you re-packaged them in mylar bags with oxygen absorbers, which can get a little expensive, some university research shows they can last 30 years. Can Goods will normally last a few years, but you will need to rotate them (put new purchases into long-term storage while eating from the older cans). Pasta is cheap and remains a serious option, yet will only last a few years in storage and you will have to use a rotation system like previously mentioned.
HOW LONG IT TAKES TO COOK & PREPARE IS AN IMPORTANT FACTOR?
When choosing what which food to buy and store, most don't consider cooking time (which equals more fuel to burn). For example: regular white rice may take 20-30 minutes to cook. Most regular beans require pre-soaking, either overnight or for a few hours.
EDITOR'S PICKS - A complete meal can be cooked in less than 10 minutes saving a lot of time and cooking fuel.
RICE: Basmati Rice, which is an aromatic and more flavorful rice, that only takes 8 to 10 minutes to cook.
BUYING: Most Basmati Rice comes from either India or California. Walmart's Great Value 20lb bags seemes to be the better buy because the cost is cheaper and the bags are very thick plastic, so they can go directly to storage shelves. They also come in 5lb and 10lb bags but the price is higher. There are various other brands and sizes. Try to pick one in a good bag where you don't have to repackage the rice.
COMPARE: Long-Grain Enriched (20lb-$11): Cheaper, 20min Cooking Time; Jasmine Rice (20lb-$17), taste better, 15min Cooking Time; Basmati Rice (20lb-$19), Best tasting, 10min Cooking Time.BEANS: Red Lentils was chosen because it requires no soaking, and it only takes 5 minutes to cook. Red Lentis have more nutrition than the slightly cheaper Brown Lentils, which takes 20 minutes to cook. PEANUT ALERGIES: Some Doctors note that 20% of those allergic to peanuts are also allergic to some beans/legumes.
BUYING: Most come in 1lb plastic bags. They are sometimes available in local stores. Buying out-of-season: Sept thru Feb, the prices will be higher. They are sometimes harder to find in the stores, so I tend to buy from Goya on Amazon in a 24 pack of 1lb bags. Try to wait and buy when the price is $40-$50 per box. For long-term storage, I leave the box un-opened and tape up the seams of the box with thick packaging tape to secure it from bugs.BROCOLLI SEEDS for growing Broccoli Sprouts to provide that extra level of nutrition and antioxidant boost completes my normal meal. Broccoli Sprouts are super easy to grow in a jar, in the window, from seeds to sprouts in 4-5 days in a 1/2 gallon, wide-mouth mason jar. VIDEOS: Benefits, Anti-Cancer Cell Protection Nutrients (video2), How to Grow in Jars.
THE BASICS: The 'Everything Else' List
Everything Else really depends on your own needs, circumstances, and available finances.
Common Stuff: Battery-powered Lights, Rechargeable Batteries & Chargers, Emergency Radio, Basic Tools, Duct Tape, Zip Ties, Boots, Rain Gear, Tarps. Don't buy equipment with built-in batteries, since replacing them would require someone with electronics skills to replace them. Only buy lights and radios that use regular standard types of batteries that can be easily replaced (AAA, AA, C, D, 18650, 21700).
Medical: First-Aid Kit and extra prescription medications. Get your refills at the earliest possible date, and you will be able to slowly build up a small excess for emergencies.
Hunting, Fishing, and Gardening: Adding to, and generating new food sources are critically important. Get into the habit of doing by actually hunting, fishing, and gardening - even if you only do it to learn - it will be the skills and tools/equipment you may need to survive. Starting a basic garden to learn how and with basic gardening tools and a reserve of seeds would be wise.
Bathroom Replacement: You will need to find replacement/alternatives for the toilet, showering/bathing, and washing of hands. That's why, if you own land, having a shallow well for water can be so helpful. Toilet systems are much more complicated to replace but do-able. Solutions range from the simple dig-a-hole and burry it; to toilet seat over a 5-gallon paint bucket or bed-side commode where you use a trash bag or bucket; to a porta-potty camping toilet; to the old-style 'out-house' or military latrine over a pit (with proper venting, it's not so bad); to the best option of a 'composting toilet' that separates the liquids and solids to cut down on the smell and efficiently dispose of the waste. FOR CLEANING: Discover the wonder of Wet-Wipes. Yup. They work, they're cheap, and have multiple, multiple uses from cleaning the butt to a replacement for showering and bathing.
Composting Toilets: How do they work?
2 min
EMERGENCY TOILET
How to Turn Your House Toilet into an
Emergency Composting-type Toilet
6 min
Top YouTube Channels
City Prepping - general prepping
website | online courses | facebook | instagram | twitter/xHOBOTECH - prepping tech, solar, batteries
website | facebook group | instagram | twitter/xThe Provident Prepper - general prepping
website | facebook | instagram | twitter/xSelf Sufficient Me - gardening, chickens
website | facebook | instagram | twitter/xEpic Gardening - gardening
website | facebook | instagramHomesteading Family - gardening, preserving, DIY projects and Traditional Cooking
website | rumble | facebook | instagram
Acre Homestead - homesteading, gardening, cooking, food preservation, cooking, DIY Projects
website | instagramSimplified Gardening! - gardening
website | facebook | instagram | twitter/xDavid The Good - gardening
Melissa K. Norris - Modern Homesteading
website | facebook | instagramAnne of All Trades - homesteading
website | facebook | instagramCraft in America - handcrafted items
website | facebook | instagram | twitter/xBecky's Homestead - gardening, chickens
websiteChickenlandia - chickens
website | facebook | instagram | twitter/x
Unique Insights by Citizen Dave
This entire page was written by me, Citizen Dave. I've been heavily involved in prepping for over 4 years. I grew up fishing, farming, wilderness hiking and camping.
Below are a few very unique prepping insights I've not seen anywhere that could be critical for survival, especially for new preppers.
Live Off Your Own Body Fat
Surprise! Every Prepper has built-in food storage: their own Body Fat. Even the skinniest of persons has a few months of fat fuel on their bodies. The catch is, you will die if you don't keep getting water and new electrolytes and certain vitamins and minerals.
Unique Prepping Items
Scott-E-Vest - Clothing line with a whole lot of pockets.
on Facebook, on YouTube
The 'Keep it Light & Mobile' Strategy
Main Survival Equipment Should Always be... Small & Portable!
All equipment you buy in the beginning should always and primarily be focused on 'SURVIVAL' equipment - items that you absolutely need to live AND that have DUAL FUNCTIONALITY:
MOBILE USE | Small, Portable, lite enough to carry yourself in a Mobile Bag, Cart, or Backpack.
Secondarily, what you can easily and quickly pack in a car. If you can't carry it with you, you may have to abandon it - and thus it will do you no good to buy, at least initially.BASIC HOME USE | It should also be good enough to use in your home, at least in a basic or primitive way.
You should develop 1 MOBILE SURVIVAL PACK PER PERSON. If you get separated, each person (adult, teen, and child) needs to have a basic survival pack AND know how to use the equipment inside.
INDIVIDUAL SURVIVAL PACKS
Be Prepared.
If you have to 'bug-out' and leave your home for some unforeseen reason (fire, sewage backup, gangs), you can only take what you can carry with you.
Your critical survival equipment can only be small and portable.
In your individual mobile survival kit/pack you should at least have these items:
WATER FILTER: Sawyer Personal Water Filters [video:mini/squeeze; on amazon] and Cnoc Water Pouches/Bags [Amazon, video].
SOLAR PANELS: 30-60watt Small, Portable Fold-Out Panels - that charge 5V USB Devices directly, some also having 12v output that can also charge a small 'portable' battery (aka solar generator). TIP: Try to purchase the same type or wattage for compatibility and efficiency.
RECHARGABLE BATTERIES and Battery Charger that is powered, not via a wall plugin, but via a 5V USB connection (i.e. from a small portable solar panel).
BASIC LIGHTS: lanterns and flashlights that are powered by rechargeable batteries (AA, C, D, 18650s, 21700s).
PERSONAL HYGIENE ITEMS:
Bars of Soap, Dawn Liquid Soap
Clothes Laundry Items (wash board, bus tray or bucket, foldable buckets available)
Portable Bidet Squeeze Bottle (Butt Shower)
EDITOR PICKS
EBL Rechargeable Batteries (US):
Ni-Mh AAA, AA, C, D & Chargers on Amazon, on on EBL Official
Super Capacity 18650 Lithium-Ion Batteries
NiteCore (industry leader) on Amazon:
18650 & 21700 Super Capacity, USB PowerBanks, USB 4 Slot Battery Charger (superior, charges anything)
Sawyer Squeeze Filter
2 min | Sawyer Products
Sawyer Website
Sawyer Min Water Filter
2 min | Sawyer Products
Sawyer Website
Home and Personal Defense
Each home has security weak points. Every home can re-enforce exterior doors by replacing existing screws at the door hinges and strike plate with 2 to 3-inch screws. Some screws are also made of carbon steel for strength. Many other security products are available to prevent a direct door kicking attack, like the door reinforcement lock. First and second floor windows are also a major vulnerability. In Hurricane country we often pre-build and pre-fit exterior window protection that easily bolt on. There are a variety of low-cost Do-It-Yourself solutions and also more expensive professional solutions.
Fire Protection is important and a variety of solutions and products available. Fire blankets for kitchen fires; fire powder bombs to put out an entire room on fire; these are some of the most popular options. Having a fire extinguisher in your car and kitchen are also advisable. Fire alarms and carbon monoxide monitors can save lives.
Personal Defense is a wide topic: from baseball bats to whips, chains, knives, pepper spray/gel, pepper ball guns, to regular pistols, shotguns, and rifles. Learning basic hand-to-hand defense techniques is also an option and you can often find local classes.
When considering firearms, one needs to consider the cost of ammunition. For example, while a 360 pistol is small and compact, the ammunition is more expensive. There are similar small pistols available that use common and cheaper 9mm ammunition. Consider that instead. Rifles and shotguns are used for different purposes. Rifles are good for hunting. Shotguns are good for home defense. Pistols are good for personal defense, especially when going outside the home. Reasonably priced ballistic vests, hoodies, jackets, backpacks, and sling bags are available that use soft armor instead of plates.
Basic Preparedness Videos
The Ultimate Pantry Stockpile Checklist:
What Every Prepper Needs
7 min | City Prepping
3 Months Is All You Need As A Prepper
14 min | City Prepping
Prepper's Beginner Guide - 10 Things to Do Now
14 min | City Prepping
The 5 Worst Food Storage Mistakes Preppers Make
11 min | City Prepping
10 Items to Buy Before a Great Depression
20 min | City Prepping
10 Great Depression Mental Laws to Survive
15 min | City Prepping
Sub Text
AFTER the Initial Chaos Period: The New Normal
LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL...
Power, Water, Law & Order is re-established... Now What!?
Remember, we are now at war. Cyber Threats to the Power Grid, infrastructure, business, and industry will continue. The Power Grid may be taken down again. The New Normal is...
You Need to Plan Ahead for this stage.
You Need to Focus on THE BASICS (again): Food, Water, etc. Your Long-Term Storage Pantry is depleted or running low. You need to generate/create/acquire new cash, items.
Most Wise Preppers, after they successfully create their Long-Term Food Storage Pantry and fill it - they also start on things that will allow them to survive AFTER the Chaos Period: Water Well, Hunting, Fishing, Food Gardening, Chickens, maybe livestock. Yes, this is how many of our great grandparents lived. It's do-able. Don't have land? Buy some, even if it's small.
THE NEW ECONOMY... Things Will Come from Mainly Local or Regional Sources
In the new economy, many supply chains of food and products will dramatically shift to local or regional sourced and farmed items. Those who live near major ports and energy producing areas of oil and coal and near farming communities will not be as impacted as much.
Buying Food from local farmers. The Wise Prepper would have already started buying from local farmers - and in doing so, have already built existing relationships with them that will place you at the front of the line for future purchases.
Traditional Trades, Skills, Products... will be in demand. If you can create/build something you can sell it for cash or barter. Got a boat? Fish for your family and sell the rest. Pottery, carpentry, making clothes, etc. The more varied items you and your family can produce, the better you will be able to survive.
Gold & Silver - The Best Investment to Survive and Thrive
During troubled times Cash will go down in value due to the cost of items increasing greatly. Gold and Silver will significantly increase in value during troubled times. Today, everyone can afford silver and silver will be the everyday currency for buying and selling consumable goods. Most common are 1 ounce Silver Coins, but smaller fractional 1/5, 1/20, etc types will be more flexible and usable. Mexican Pesos come in fractional ounce form. Regardless, try to only buy silver that is .999% pure. Gold is expensive and will also greatly increase in value, but it will only be useful for very large purchases.
Grow Your Own Food - Backyard Gardening, Homesteading
During World War 2, the U.S. Government ran large media campaigns encouraging everyone to raise a vegetable garden and have chickens for eggs and meat. This is actually much easier than you may think. Some feel intimidated until they just actually do.
A significant number of preppers are already doing this, either on a simple learning experiment, to learn the skill if needed, and others to supplement their food now. In a global war, this will be the standard, so many are already reaping the benefits now.
Don't be discouraged.
Our Great Grandparents Did It, Survived, and Thrived - We Can Too.
Remember, we are Americans...