A Quick Guide to Prepping What two old country folks have learned about prepping for emergencies or disasters

By Old Ozark Country Woman
Are Preppers crazy?
People who prepare for disasters are not all members of the tinfoil hat society nor are they all hunker in a bunker people. Being prepared is common sense. At some point in time, everyone will face some sort of crisis.
For those who are knowledgeable about the Bible and the prophetic times in which we live, it makes sense to be prepared for many of the trials we will surely face. Regardless of whether you believe in a rapture of the Church, have set beliefs about the timing of it, or whether you don’t think there will be one at all, we have been promised that “in this world you will have tribulations.” Those are the words of Jesus. I am not talking about the seven-year Tribulation period known as “The Time of Jacob’s Trouble.” Jesus said we would face all kinds of adverse situations in this word throughout our lives.
2 Timothy 3:12, “Indeed, all who desire to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,” Persecution of Christians is rising all over the world, even in the United States.

John 16:33, “”These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”
Preparing is not fear based but is good stewardship of our lives and the lives of those around us. It is not a lack of faith to be prepared. It is called wisdom, and much is said about wisdom in the Bible, especially in Proverbs. I could write all the scriptures about being prepared and about being good stewards here, but it is already all written in God’s Word, the Bible. Solomon thought being prepared was important enough that he wrote the same verse twice in Proverbs!
Proverbs 22:3; 27:12, “A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.”
Why prepare (prep) and how much?
How much prepping you do depends on how many people are in your household, how many other’s you plan to help, and how long you want to be able to survive in a crisis. I say, “Plan for the worst and hope for the best” when it comes to prepping. Being
A Quick Guide to Prepping What two old country folks have learned about prepping for emergencies or disasters

By Old Ozark Country Woman

prepared is never a waste of time. It is better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.
For what types of disaster should you prepare? It depends. Do you live in a flood plain, a hurricane or tornado zone, an earthquake zone or other natural disaster zone? Do you live in a area where forest fires are likely? Natural disasters can affect everyone.
There are other scenarios for which we should prepare in today’s world. Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) attacks or cyber-attacks on our power grids are very likely in today’s world. Our nation’s power grids are not well maintained. If a rogue nation wanted to cripple us, all they have to do is shoot a nuclear missile into our atmosphere and it could cause an EMP situation. EMP’s can also be caused by sun activity. An EMP attack could cause our power grid to be down for days, months, or even years. Studies have said that in an EMP situation, 90% of the nation’s population would likely die within the first year. Think about all of the nursing homes and hospitals full of patients, or people on pacemakers or oxygen.
An EMP attack can fry the circuitry of electronics of all kinds. People would be stuck in elevators. Jets would likely fall from the sky. Automobiles manufactured before the early 1980’s would cease to function, and people would be stranded. Chaos would ensue and people would begin to fight and kill one another. Looting of stores would happen and stores would soon empty out. Trucks would not function so stores would not be resupplied. Use your imaginations and you will begin to understand the terrible repercussions of an EMP attack.
Another possibility in today’s world is martial law. In a martial law situation chaos will ensue. I won’t go into detail but anyone familiar with the term will understand.
The time to prepare is BEFORE a disaster strikes. Waiting until a disaster hits is too late. The more who prepare, the less impact of the disaster for all.
When you begin to prepare, practice your methods. Try out your generator and alternative ways of cooking. Practice conserving water. Do these things now so that when a crisis comes, you will know how to do them and whether or not they really work!
A Quick Guide to Prepping What two old country folks have learned about prepping for emergencies or disasters

By Old Ozark Country Woman

Please, don’t be the person, if you are able who chooses not to prepare because you have a family member or know someone who does, and you think you can just go to their place and use up their resources. You may not be able to get there and even if you do, you probably should not be too sure that they would want to share with you after they were diligent to spend their time and money to prepare and you did not. It is different if there are those who financially are not able to prepare. But if you can and don’t, it is like the Bible says, “If a man will not work he shall not eat.” That is not to say that a Christian isn’t to share our provisions with others. We are to share and be good ambassadors for Christ, but we are also to take care of our own families lest we be like infidels (1 Timothy 5:8)! We must prayerfully consider the appropriate actions to take both in regard to sharing and security measures to protect our families.
Warning
Be careful who you tell about what you have stocked or about the other preparations you have made. Not everyone is trustworthy. Not everyone is preparing, and, in a crisis, others will come for what you have been diligent to prepare. Pray in advance to better know what you would do if someone came to steal from you or force you to give to them what you have stored for your household’s provision. And please, don’t rat out your friends who are prepping. If they want it told, they will tell it.

Try to form a trustworthy community of preppers but be as wise and discerning as possible. The more who prepare, the less the impact for all.

A little bit of frugal wisdom
You can find many of your prepping supplies at thrift stores. You can find cheaper food at stores that are like derailed commodity or overstock stores. The more you save, the more you can buy! If you are starving or cold, you won’t give a rip if you have name brand items!
Water
Water is more important than food because you can live longer without food than you can water! If you do not have water, don’t eat because if you do it will kill you even faster because your body will use the fluids it has stored to process your food.
A Quick Guide to Prepping What two old country folks have learned about prepping for emergencies or disasters

By Old Ozark Country Woman

Important consideration: If the power grid is down, water pumps, both in cities or in rural areas will only work as long as generators are fueled. When the generators stop, there is no more water coming to your pipes into your homes! The time to prepare to have water is NOW!
Obtaining and Storing Water 1. Rain Barrels – In some places, rain barrel collection systems are illegal. However, in a crisis, it would be good to already have them in place. Note: I am not advocating that anyone break the law, but sometimes civil disobedience is in order and it is my own conviction that they were outlawed in some places in order to practice eugenics (population control) when a crisis hits or to control the population when a water shortage hits. Conspiracy? Maybe, but I doubt it.

If you live in a city or place where they would not be esthetically pleasing, you can disguise them as planters or put a cute little fence around them and decorate your fence. Your neighbors will think you are a great crafter! Rain barrels are best used under a gutter system where the rain can run into them from the roof of a home. Do some research on rain barrels in advance of the crisis!

1. Other holding tanks. You can purchase water tanks at Ranch and Farm supply stores for hundreds of dollars or used food grade ones at some food distribution places for much less. We happen to have McKee (Little Debbie) Bakery in our area and can buy 250 gallon food-grade tanks for $40 – $60 at their outlet store. We can also buy the 55 gallon food grade barrels there for rain barrels. 3. Ponds, lakes, and streams. You will need a way to collect and haul your water. We bought a couple of Gorilla Yard Carts with pneumatic tires for hauling water. You can also make a neck yoke with notches to hold bucket handles out of wood if you have to haul water and walk. Don’t forget buckets! 4. You can also make a solar water collector (Research online). 5. You can get water from under the bark of trees (Research it). 6. Condensation collectors (Research it).
   A Quick Guide to Prepping What two old country folks have learned about prepping for emergencies or disasters

By Old Ozark Country Woman

1. Getting water from plants (More research).
   Filtering Water
   There are many ways to filter water or to make it safe for drinking: 1. Boiling – If you collect water from a pond, lake, stream, or other source such as that, try to filter it through a t-shirt or other cloth before boiling to remove as much sediment as possible. Then, you only need to bring the water to a boil and only boil for about a minute to kill the germs. Boiling longer is not necessary according to the CDC unless your altitude is over 6562 feet, then boil for only 3 minutes. https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/drinking/travel/backcountry_water_treatme nt.html 2. Berkey Water Filters – These come in all sizes. These are some of the best filters for removing pathogens as well as chlorine and fluoride (If you buy the fluoride filter). They are expensive but I believe they are worth it as we have successfully used ours for years. You can get more use out of the filters if you clean them with a toothbrush when the water gets slow moving through the filters. When the filters get REALLY slow, you can use a potato peeler to remove a small amount of the surface and get a bit more use from them. 3. Lifestraws – Expensive and won’t last a great long time, but they are handy if you are on the move. You can drink directly from a water source with them. 4. Seychelle water filters – We have the Extreme Seychelle water filters. They are about the best on the market from what I have seen. They will filter out over 99% percent of the things toxic to the body, including radiation. 5. You can make filters with barrels, sand, activated or natural charcoal (no chemicals) and pea gravel (Research for instructions). 6. UV light filters or UV light pen. UV light will kill some pathogens (Research for information). A glass jar set in the sunlight is cheap and works great for this. You can also use PBA free plastic water bottles. 7. Other water bottle filters (Do some research as some are better than others)
   Conserving water
   A Quick Guide to Prepping What two old country folks have learned about prepping for emergencies or disasters

By Old Ozark Country Woman

I have been practicing conserving water for months now. I have noticed on my water bills, a great savings on the number of gallons used this year versus the same periods last year. 1. Do dishes in pans. Save the dirty water to flush toilets and the rinse water to bathe or do laundry. 2. Do laundry in containers of some kind. I have horse tubs because they are larger than buckets. I use a mop bucket wringer to wring them out. Save the dirty water to flush toilets. Save the rinse water to bathe or do more laundry, adding the soap. 3. If you still have running water, run the water into a bowl or other container while you wash your hands. Then you can use that water to flush toilets. 4. Brush your teeth using only a cup of water. Put water in a cup. Wet your brush. Brush with toothpaste. Rinse your mouth with a little water. Then rinse your brush in the remaining water. 5. Catch rainwater to water your pets. We have a small stock tank that catches the rain from our roof. My dog loves it as he can both drink it and swim in it! 6. Bathe from a bucket. Use a dipper to wash your hair. We did this in the Amazon on a mission trip and it works quite well. 7. If you have a shower that works or are using a solar shower or overhead barrel shower, then get yourself wet, shut the water off. Soap up. Then rinse. Do NOT leave the water running!
Food
I want to start by saying that freezers are NOT long-term food storage. In a power outage the freezers will thaw unless you have some type of renewable energy source to keep them going. If you do have freezers full of food, I would suggest that you consider pressure canning as much as possible. Also, if you have room in your freezers, put some mostly full water jugs in there. It would freeze and keep your food frozen longer in a power outage but when they thawed you would have water to drink. 1. Print recipes that you can use with the food you stock and put them in a binder along with canning information and other information pertaining to food and water.
A Quick Guide to Prepping What two old country folks have learned about prepping for emergencies or disasters

By Old Ozark Country Woman

1. Don’t stock food you won’t eat 3. Rotate your stock so that old items are used first. Resupply as you use items from your pantry. 4. If you live in an earthquake zone, earthquake proof your shelves as much as possible 5. Canned goods have liquid in them which would be good in a water shortage 6. Canned food items are good way past their expiration dates 7. Home canned food is cheaper, more nutritious, and you can res-use the jars 8. Keep extra jar flats on hand and rings for home-canning 9. Stock food staples like rice, beans, and pasta because they make a meal go farther. Also stock a LOT of flour (unbleached lasts longer), cornmeal, and sugar. 10. Stock yeast, baking powder, and baking soda. Baking soda has many uses other than for baking. Can be used as toothpaste and for cleaning. 11. Stock a LOT of spices. This will prevent food fatigue. 12. Stock salt. Salt can not only be used for flavoring but for curing as well and for making saline solution. Stock both iodized and non-iodized salt. 13. Stock cooking oils and vegetable oils. My favorites are Extra Virgin Olive oil and Peanut Oil (Not good for those with peanut allergies though). 14. Buy some whey protein powder as a food additive so that you can get more protein in your meals. 15. Peanut Butter is NOT a long-term storage item. No nut product is long term storage. The oils go rancid after a few months. Peanut Butter powder, sealed in a bucket, jar, or food-saver bag with a desiccant is better for long-term. 16. Dry beans take a LOT of water to cook and a long time to cook unless using a pressure cooker. It is a good idea to pressure can beans in advance because in a shortage of water situation, you would have the liquid already in the beans and the beans would only need to be reheated. 17. One can also make M.R.E.’s (meals ready to eat) in jars and pressure can them. I am speaking of wet meals, not dry ones. I have canned red beans with smoked sausage, green bell peppers, and onions with a tomato type sauce as an M.R.E. One can also do vegetable soups or other soups (not particularly cream based ones). You can also purchase M.R.E. foods or other shelf stable dry foods but remember, they all take water!
   A Quick Guide to Prepping What two old country folks have learned about prepping for emergencies or disasters

By Old Ozark Country Woman

1. Stock Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) and White Vinegar. ACV is good for food purposes as well as medical and cleaning. 19. Stock up on honey. Honey does not go bad. If it turns to sugar, heat it up and it will go back to honey. 20. Pure maple syrup is good to have on hand as well as sorghum or molasses 21. Pure cane sugar is non-gmo 22. Popcorn can be ground into non-gmo cornmeal. Other cornmeal may be genetically modified (GMO). 23. Wheat berries can be eaten as cereal, ground for whole wheat, or sprouted for fresh wheat grass for smoothies or soups. If it is not something you usually eat, get some and eat it to get your body acclimated to it. 24. Some places, like Amish pantries, sell bulk dry goods. Buying in bulk saves money. Many of the products in Amish pantries are non-GMO. 25. Stock milk. You won’t only want it for cooking, baking, and for cereals, but you never know when a baby may come to your home. Stock Karo syrup as well as Karo syrup and whole milk will make a do-able formula in a crisis. You can stock powdered milk or shelf stable liquid milk. Whole milk is best for babies. 26. Stock some hard candy and even some nut free chocolate candies. You can store the candy in canning jars with lids, put an oxygen absorber in the jars, and they will seal to keep the candy fresh longer. Don’t store mint candy with other candy unless you want them all to taste like mint! Candy gives a quick energy boost, but it also is a morale booster, a treat in the midst of difficulty. 27. Saltine and other crackers can be vacuum sealed or dry sealed in jars (Look up the methods on the internet). 28. Don’t forget food for your pets 29. Buy paper goods like plates and bowls. They seem a waste of money, but in a low water situation, they will save on washing dishes. Paper towels are not a necessity if you have a lot of rags. But again, rags need to be washed so some paper towels would be good to have on hand as well as facial tissues. 30. Proper storage of food items is VERY important. A vacuum sealer is invaluable. We seal almost anything that is dry and then place them in buckets. Sometimes we also add a desiccant to the buckets or bags to prevent moisture. You can also add food-grade diatomaceous earth in SMALL amounts to dry-goods to prevent bugs. A pressure canner for canning food is also invaluable! Gamma lids are the
   A Quick Guide to Prepping What two old country folks have learned about prepping for emergencies or disasters

By Old Ozark Country Woman

best lids for buckets as you can twist them open rather than having to lift the lids with a tool and hammer them back on. 31. Do NOT store your food supplies in non-climate-controlled areas such as garages, attics, or outside buildings. Even dry food will go rancid in the heat. Underground fruit cellars are basically climate controlled and are fine for storing food. However, food stored in metal cans could rust.
Foraging 1. Get a comprehensive book, with photos, that has edible and medicinal plants, especially for your region. 2. Scout your local area near your home for edible or medicinal plants and trees 3. Harvest fruit and berries in season and make jellies, jams, and even cough medicines or other medicines. Elder berries and wild cherries are very medicinal and nutritious! 4. Harvest Plantain (The green plant, not the kind that looks like bananas). It grows abundantly in my Arkansas yard! I call it a miracle plant (right up there with dandelions). Plantain salve is like a miracle salve! It even works on Eczema! Do your research on Plantain… and do it on Dandelions while you are at it!
Alternative Cooking Methods

1. Charcoal or wood fires. Useful for grilling, Dutch oven cooking, or cooking over open fires 2. Butane or Propane camp stoves, ovens, or grills (Only useful until the fuel source is gone) 3. Rocket Stoves (They use wood or charcoal) 4. Solar ovens 5. Mud oven, a.k.a. outdoor brick oven (They use wood or charcoal)
   Cookware and Bakeware
2. Cast iron, cast iron, cast iron! Cast iron, if properly maintained, will last for generations and can be used on virtually every surface (Use enameled ones if cooking on a glass top stove). Get cast iron skillets and Dutch ovens (Get a Dutch
   A Quick Guide to Prepping What two old country folks have learned about prepping for emergencies or disasters

By Old Ozark Country Woman

oven cookbook with instructions as they Dutch oven cooking has a learning curve). A 12” shallow Dutch oven is the most overall useful Dutch oven. 2. Thrift stores often have cast iron cookware at a more frugal price 3. Metal enamelware (can also usually find in thrift stores) 4. A camp coffee pot 5. Metal pans of all shapes and sizes 6. Metal utensils for cooking and eating 7. A pressure cooker speeds things up a bit. A pressure cooker and a pressure canner are not the same thing. You can use a pressure canner as a cooker but you cannot use a pressure cooker as a canner.

Medical Supplies and Information

1. Do some advance research before a crisis and print out information. Put it in a binder where you will have it handy. Research natural remedies, medical procedures, and other matters of importance in a crisis. 2. We stock both OTC (over the counter) medications and natural remedies. If anyone in your household takes RX’s, try to stock up if you can, but if you cannot because of a limit per month. 3. Research natural remedies and stock up on those. For example, Berberine (A biproduct of Golden Seal) is an alternative for the diabetic RX, Metformin. Also, cedar berries lower blood sugar, but do your own research for your own needs. The Lord put natural remedies in the earth. 4. Essential oils may be use for many medical purposes. 5. Research how to make tinctures and natural medicines with herbs, plants, and fruits foraged from your local area. 6. It is good to stock a surgical kit, suture kit, and a dental kit. Medical and dental manuals can be downloaded from the internet and I would recommend doing that before a crisis hits. 7. Purchase dental filling, available in retail stores or on the internet. It would be beneficial in a crisis. 8. Stock super glue as it can be used for sutures or replacing a crown
   A Quick Guide to Prepping What two old country folks have learned about prepping for emergencies or disasters

By Old Ozark Country Woman

1. Stock bandages. Feminine hygiene pads work for bandages. Also white cotton sheets or cotton tea towels will work. 10. Stock both sterile and non-sterile vinyl gloves 11. Stock up on alcohol and peroxide. Do NOT use peroxide on a wound because it kills the good bacteria along with the bad. It can be used for cleaning surfaces. 12. A mixture of 1-part bleach to 10 parts saline solution is good to wash out a wound. Saline solution can be made with ½ tsp. salt (not iodized) to 1 cup sterile water. 13. Apple Cider Vinegar has many health benefits. It is good for heart burn, gallstone relief, arthritis, and much more! 14. Make sure you have medicines for allergies, pain, colds, flu, and as many other ailments as possible. 15. Avoid taking antibiotics as they destroy the immune system. Instead, take vitamins A & C and research other natural ways to build up your immune system. My husband and I do this and have not needed antibiotics for many years. 16. Stock some Vodka or Moonshine. It can be used to make tinctures, use to alleviate pain in an emergency surgery, or if you just want to get some vanilla beans and make home-made vanilla extract like I did! 17. Stock flea sprays and preventions for both humans and pets. Also, stock medications to get rid of lice. There are also essential oils that will work (Do your research). 18. Stock all kinds of ointments, lotions, or creams whether OTC or DIY such as fungal cream, diaper rash ointment, triple antibiotic ointment, Neosporin, Hydrocortisone cream, Benadryl cream, Calamine lotion, etc. 19. Stock all sorts of vitamins, especially multivitamins. They will lose potency after several months but, something is still better than nothing when you may not be getting full nutrition from food. 20. Stock honey, especially local honey. It is good for battling allergies. Bee pollen (also local if you can get it) helps with allergies as well.
   Hygiene
   A Quick Guide to Prepping What two old country folks have learned about prepping for emergencies or disasters

By Old Ozark Country Woman

1. Making feminine hygiene pads from cloth (Patterns & instructions are on the internet) will help when one cannot purchase them. They also work well for bladder pads. Soak in white vinegar & water and then wash as usual. 2. Stock up on toilet paper. 3. You can make wet wipes for T.P. or other uses with cloth and witch hazel. Also, if one must, rags for wiping backsides are reusable if you soak in white vinegar and water then wash. Uncolored, cotton fabric is best as some dyes can cause irritation. Each person would likely want their own rags. Think about it being no different than cloth diapers. 4. Mullein is called nature’s toilet paper because it is a soft plant. You can use it, but some allergies have occurred from the tiny fibers. Mullein does have other natural benefits besides being used as a T.P. alternative. It is good for respiratory issues. Native Americans dried it and smoked it for respiratory ailments such as asthma, etc. Mullein also makes a good green tea. 5. A garden sprayer makes a good bidet or personal shower. Soak the sprayer handle rod in hot water, bend into a bow, then immediately put in cold water. This will make body parts more reachable. 6. Laundry soap can be made with 2 parts Borax, 2 parts washing soda, with 1 bar of grated soap. Use as a dry laundry detergent. The best grated soap to use would be a more natural one, but you can use whatever you want. If you pour the water out in your sink, tub, or toilet, be mindful of your septic tank if you live in a rural area. 7. Castile soap can be used for bathing, shampoo, laundry, and even dish soap! You can make your own if you want to mess with lye and oils. Download a recipe from the internet. I just buy an off brand in bulk. 8. Stock up on lotions (or make your own), toothpaste (can use baking soda but too much can damage enamel), soaps, shampoos, shaving cream, and deodorants. 9. If you have a baby, stock up on cloth diapers or disposables. The only thing about disposables is that they do not burn well and you will need sanitation of some sort. 10. You can use your septic system even when you don’t have running water. Save your dirty laundry water or dish water to flush toilets. Use your rinse water from laundry or dishes to do more laundry, wash the next load of dishes (manually of
   A Quick Guide to Prepping What two old country folks have learned about prepping for emergencies or disasters

By Old Ozark Country Woman

course), or to take a bath. Then use the dirty water again to flush toilets. Water conservation in a grid down situation is a MUST! 11. Use septic safe soaps only. The natural soap recipe with Borax and washing soda is septic safe. Most liquid laundry soap is septic safe as it does not contain phosphates. 12. Have extra brushes and combs as well as hair cutting tools, pony tail holders, and razors.
Alternative Power
In a situation where the power grid is down, it is good to have an alternative source of power. Below are some of the options. 1. A fuel powered generator. These are only useful as long as you are able to obtain fuel. They can be very noisy and draw attention to yourself. Where people are running generators, they usually have food! 2. Solar rechargeable lithium ion batteries are good to power the necessities. Lion Energy sells various sizes. Solar/battery power is quiet! 3. Wind turbines – One really needs open space for these to be very efficient. They are costly to build or purchase but there are many DIY options on the internet. 4. Steam power – Expensive and difficult to harness the energy to a proper level
Keeping Warm or Cool
Other than generators, it is good to think of alternative ways to keep warm or cool. Be sure to use all stoves that are non-electric with proper ventilation. 1. Wood stoves if you live in an area where wood is readily available 2. Hahsa (Outdoor wood fired furnace that ducts into the home) 3. Thermal electric fans to put on top of a wood stove in a power outage are good because the blowers won’t work on the stove but the air will still move with those. 4. Coal, propane, natural gas, or pellet stoves are good but only as long as fuel supplies last. 5. Stock up on extra blankets, quilts, sleeping bags, and sheets. Be creative with your storage. You can hide them under current mattresses or couch cushions!
A Quick Guide to Prepping What two old country folks have learned about prepping for emergencies or disasters

By Old Ozark Country Woman

1. Stock up on warm clothing. Dollar Tree is an excellent source for stocking hats, gloves, and even extra socks! 7. Solar powered fans won’t keep you cool for long, but they will move a little air. 8. Put a damp towel over the top of the fan as it blows and it will cool the air even more. 9. Battery powered fans or heaters (Work fairly well until you run out of batteries). Get some solar rechargeable batteries! 10. Hand fans. You can even make them from cardboard, glue and paint sticks!
   Lighting
2. Solar – Solar stake lights even make good flashlights. You can buy them for only $1.00 each at Dollar Tree 2. Flashlights – Not just battery operated, but solar, and crank charge lights 3. Candles – Soy smoke less than paraffin ones 4. Oil lamps and lanterns 5. Propane or butane lanterns
   Clothing
   Be sure you have sufficient climate appropriate clothing for all people in your household. If you have growing children, you can go to thrift stores and get larger sizes so they will have clothing as they grow. Remember, some disaster scenarios could last for YEARS! 1. Coats/jackets/sweaters, hats, gloves, thermal underwear, heavy socks, fleece (sweatpants and tops) and flannel pajamas are very important for winterwear. 2. Sweat-wicking clothing will help you stay cool in the summer. Cotton clothing is also best for hot climates.
   Get Home Bag
   In an EMP or other crisis where you may have to walk home, I will list some of the basic items you should have in a backpack in your automobile. You can add a LOT of other stuff, but I will only list the basics. 1. Water bottles (preferably with water in them)
   A Quick Guide to Prepping What two old country folks have learned about prepping for emergencies or disasters

By Old Ozark Country Woman

1. Non-perishable snacks (like granola bars and jerky) 3. Comfortable walking shoes 4. Clean socks 5. Maps of your local area and a current atlas of all states 6. A flashlight 7. Pepper spray or other small weapon to fight off dogs, wild animals, or wild people 8. Climate appropriate clothing, including a hat and sunglasses 9. Chapstick and sunscreen 10. Some paracord (Can be used for all sorts of things) 11. A lighter or waterproof matches 12. Cell phone, IF it will work 13. A pack of tissues (can also be used for T.P.)
   Bug Out Bag
   A bug out bag is similar to a get home back except it is for use when you must leave your home to go to a safer place. The articles one can place in a bug out bag can be quite extensive, more so that a get home bag. Instead of listing all of the articles, do some research and use your imagination as to what types of survival preparations you might think are necessary as you make a trek to where your safe place is located. There are too many conditions to cover all of the necessities on this list.
   Note: Be sure and limit the weight on your bags to something you can carry without injuring yourself. A hiker’s backpack distributes the weight more evenly over the upper body and allows more weight to be carried safely. Hiking sticks also help, especially on a longer journey.
   Fishing and Hunting
2. Fishing rods, reels, and tackle 2. Fishing nets, large and small. 3. Fish cleaning knives and supplies 4. Bows and guns for hunting and the appropriate ammo. It is not wise to advertise that you have weapons, especially on social media. 5. Game dressing gear
   A Quick Guide to Prepping What two old country folks have learned about prepping for emergencies or disasters

By Old Ozark Country Woman

1. You can make blood bait from the left-over parts of fish and game to have for future fishing. You can put it in a jar in the ground with a lid with one small hole in it. You bury it in the ground to process it. It will smell nasty, but catfish will love it! 7. Rack and pulley system to hang large game while processing 8. A wood fired smoker or smokehouse to smoke cure meat. You can also salt cure meat. Do some research.
   Tools and other useful items
2. Garden tools and other gardening supplies. Stock seeds in airtight containers. Heirloom seeds are best because they can be harvested from the plants each year and used to plant the next year’s crop. 2. Hand tools for carpentry, mechanics, electrical, and other home uses 3. Fire ring – (Can get a set of 3 at Tractor Supply for under $50 (as of Nov. 2019) 4. Axes and other tools for cutting or harvesting trees 5. Log chains 6. Come-a-longs 7. Rope and cord of all types 8. Tape measure 9. Extension Cords 10. Ladders 11. Clothes Pins 12. Fire starters – Hubby makes them out of T.P. tubes and paraffin as well as other cardboard and wax. There are other ways to make them (research). You can also buy them. Also flint strikers, disposable lighters, strike anywhere matches, and a ferro cerium rod. 13. Weather radio 14. Shortwave or Ham radio 15. Wagons or other types of carts 16. Bicycle 17. Tote containers and tote bags 18. Ziplock Bags of all sizes 19. Canning jars with new lids and rings
   A Quick Guide to Prepping What two old country folks have learned about prepping for emergencies or disasters

By Old Ozark Country Woman

1. Other sealable, airtight containers 21. Whistles 22. Mirrors (Many uses including for signaling) 23. Morse code card 24. Books, especially the Bible. School books if you have school age children. 25. Hymnal or other gospel songbooks 26. Musical Instruments 27. Plastic sheeting 28. Zip ties 29. Games, toys, puzzles, crayons, coloring books 30. EMP bags 31. Portable DVD player (Kept in EMP bag) 32. DVD movies 33. Laundry baskets 34. All types of 10 year shelf life batteries 35. Sewing supplies 36. Scissors 37. All kinds of tape, especially Gorilla or Duck tape 38. Safety pins 39. Tarps of all sizes 40. Trash bags of all sizes 41. A burn barrel 42. Metal screen wire to keep leaves out of water or trash from flying out of burn barrel 43. Live traps for trapping animals to eat or to get rid of if they are a nuisance 44. Pellet gun or air rifle with ammo 45. Rubber gloves for cleaning, painting, etc. 46. Mineral spirits (Can be used as lamp oil) 47. Fuels (Gasoline, kerosene, propane cylinders or butane cylinders) and appropriate containers. Also stock automotive oil, chainsaw oil, etc. Your vehicles may not run in an EMP situation, but your mowers, chainsaws, and UTV’s might, depending on their circuitry. 48. Baby bottles with spare parts (Even if you have no baby) 49. Sippy cups
   A Quick Guide to Prepping What two old country folks have learned about prepping for emergencies or disasters

By Old Ozark Country Woman

1. Wet wipes (or make your own) 51. Camping gear, especially tents 52. Folding tables and chairs (lawn chairs will work) 53. Pop-up canopy 54. Vacuum sealer 55. Dehydrator 56. Black out curtains – They insulate well and also people won’t be able to see through them. Lights on in a home in a crisis is an open invitation. Black out curtains help hide the lights from those on the outside. It isn’t that we don’t want to help people, but that we need to be discerning. 57. Walkie-talkies 58. A magnifying glass – Can be used to start fires (old eyeglasses can be used for that as well) 59. Paper, pencils, and pens 60. Burlap bags (Many uses) 61. Save your old socks. You can use to cure meat, for cleaning, or many other uses! 62. Backpacks and hiking sticks 63. Fix-a-flat and a tire repair kit 64. 12 volt compressor 65. Mechanical wind-up clock
   Summary
   This of course is not an all-inclusive list. There is really no end to what a person can do to be ready for a crisis. Don’t let this list intimidate you. Not everyone can do it all. Some can do a little, some can do a lot. The Lord only asks us to be faithful with what He gives us. Just be a wise steward and He will give the increase.
   The most important thing we can do is be spiritually prepared by being spiritually reborn as new creations in Christ.
   Matthew 16:26, “What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his own soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?”

A Quick Guide to Prepping What two old country folks have learned about prepping for emergencies or disasters

By Old Ozark Country Woman