When it comes to being prepared, having a food storage is of upmost importance. Being able to feed yourself and your family in times of need is a self-sufficient skill that everyone should have.
I have plenty of food storage resources that you can check out that will help you build and organize your food storage. Because times are becoming uncertain and the world appears to be unraveling, I think now is the time to get prepared. Not tomorrow, TODAY!
You may be asking yourself:
How can I get prepared?
How do you build a food storage?
What items should I stock up on?
How do I prepare for emergencies?
I got you covered! Food storage and preparedness are some of my favorite things. There are other ways that you can be prepared besides having a food storage.
Here are five items that you can prep besides food storage:
1) Candles
Candles are a great source of light in case there is a power outage. There are a variety of candles like tea light candles and taper candles. It would be a good idea to test out different varieties of candles to see what suits your needs best.
To best be prepared, have candles in designated areas nearby lighters or matches that can be easily accessed in a time of need. You don’t want to be scrambling for your candles and lighters when the power is out and your living area is dark. For example, if you have a table that you know you will light candles on, keep candles near the table in a storage tote with a lighter or matches.
2) Manual Kitchen Utensils
If the power goes out, you still need to be able to prepare food. How will you prepare food if you don’t have a manual can opener to open your cans? Or a manual wheat grinder to grind your wheat berries to make flour?
A good saying that plays into this is always have a backup to your backup. For example, having two manual can openers on the ready in case one goes out is a great idea. This applies to other manual kitchen utensils as well. Have a nice set of knives and a manual handheld egg beater. Think of the foods that you eat and the tools required to make them. Would you be able to make the foods you eat everyday if you didn’t have power? If not, figure out what tools you would need to make that endeavor possible.
3) Toiletries
Toothpaste, deodorant, toothbrushes, and any sort of toiletry that makes your life convenient are smart things to have on hand in case of emergency. You still want to maintain personal health standards even if the power is out.
One prepper tip I received once was when SHTF, to act as down and out as everyone else. This includes not showering for days on end so you begin to stink. This is one route to take for survival. Personally, I want to be able to be clean if my situation allows.
Now would be the time to prepare a small toiletry bag in your bug-out bag, so if you have to move FAST, you have the essentials to get you by. Go to your bathroom or wherever you store your toiletries and see what you use. Similar to food storage and other prepping items, you only want to store and stock up on what you use.
4) Blankets
I cannot stress how important it is to have blankets around the house. If the power goes out or your source of heat fails, you need to be able to keep you and your family warm. If the power goes out in dead of winter, blankets may be a saving grace. Pack a blanket in your vehicle too for any emergency situations that may arise on the side of the road. This past winter in Buffalo, people were stranded in their cars during an historic blizzard. If you get into a car accident or have a roadside emergency, you need to be able to stay warm.
I keep a collection of blankets around my house. You can get a blanket storage bin to have designated spot for blanket storage and so your family knows where to get a blanket if they need one. Blankets are an underrated preparedness item.
I recently talked to a friend of mine and she said they were without power for a few days, meaning she had no heat in the middle of winter for a few days! She said the only thing that saved them were all of her blankets because their house got down into the 40s. BRR!
5) Toilet paper
We all remember 2020 when you couldn’t find a roll of toilet paper on the shelves and some people were resorting to using newspaper. If you don’t remember it, I sure do! I’m grateful that I stocked up on toilet paper before the big shortage, and now I never let my supply run low.
Think about it: Maybe we are forced to stay home for weeks on end again, but this time, no trips to the store. What are you going to do to stay sanitary? Do you have enough toilet paper to keep you and your family clean? Another wise investment would be a bidet if you are able to have one. Of course, this would only be functional if you have power. If you are out of power, you would be SOL.
Keep that toilet paper supply stocked!
Seriously, with how shaky the world is right now, it is uncertain where it is headed. The best thing you can do for you and your family is to get prepared. It doesn’t hurt to buy a few extra items whenever you are at the store. Buy 2, store 1! Apply this same approach to your food storage and you will be golden and prepared for any disaster that rolls our way!
