START HERE

---

 If you’re reading this page, you’ve already achieved this. Congratulations!

As you start to begin your journey towards self-reliance and preparedness, it is crucial to acknowledge what this means. Do NOT fall for the doomer "lone wolf" mentality.

Community is key to survival. Don't isolate yourself. Connect with your neighbors and build strong relationships. By working together, you'll have a better chance of overcoming challenges and thriving in difficult times. 

Why does FEMA  tell us to prepare our homes for a minimum of 72 hours?

Because the federal government will not respond to any wide-scale disaster for 72 hours.

Due to the complex bureaucratic process, it will often likely take several days before FEMA can provide resources to your area. Keep in mind this is the minimum amount of time you should have adequate resources for (ideally 7-10 days).

Before you begin your journey of longer-term self-reliance, begin by building a kit with enough food, water and other resources to sustain your household for a minimum of 3 days. You should prioritize water above all other resources.

• You likely already have most of these items, and depending on your budget, gradually add the items that you see fit.
• The next few times you buy groceries, grab a gallon of water and an extra 1-2 items of non-perishable food you already eat, and you'll be stocked before you know it!

• Review your financial situation. Financial preparedness is essential for all other aspects of disaster preparation.  
• Prepare for the most likely scenarios in your day to day life. List out the most likely situations for your area and create plans on how to address them. What would you do during a week-long power outage, a blizzard, or a hurricane? Have a plan in place for illnesses, especially if you live alone.
• Take a moment to assess your current inventory. What supplies do you already have? Check expiration dates on medications and food. 
• Consider your climate: do you have items for extreme hot or cold weather?
• Assess your living situation: Identify the safest area in your home, preferably without windows to designate as  your safe zone. If storage in your home is limited, identify spaces such as under the bed, sofa, or high shelves.

Address pressing issues first. 

Does your vehicle need any major repairs? Do you have any high interest debts? If you're unable to resolve them, identify the root causes and take steps to correct. 

By focusing on immediate concerns, you can address 75% of the most common problems people face. Once foundational issues are addressed, you can turn your attention to longer-term preparedness plans.

Consider the 3x3x3x3 approach:

• 3 Minutes: Ensure immediate access to essentials such as your emergency kit, important documents, and communication devices.
• 3 Hours: Have a plan for gathering supplies and securing your home. Consider potential hazards in your area and take appropriate precautions.
• 3 Days: Ensure you have adequate supplies of food, water, and essential items to sustain yourself for a prolonged period. Remember the 72-hour rule.
• 3 Weeks: If you're unable to leave your area within three weeks, reassess your situation and develop a plan for long-term survival or relocation.
• Beyond 3 Weeks: For extended periods, consider evacuation plans, alternative living arrangements, and strategies for long-term sustainability.

Don't try to boil the ocean - do not overspend or neglect current priorities to prepare for what's ahead. Focus, plan, and take small steps when you're able to.

Remember the importance of an emergency fund. If you want to begin buying items while building your emergency fund, start small. For example, if you can manage $100/month to dedicate towards resiliency, put $75 in your emergency fund and $25 towards resources.

Once your 72-hour kit is established, you can explore other ways of building resiliency in your home.

After identifying what to prepare for, what you already have, and what your budget is, highlight areas for improvement  and focus on closing the gaps.

**IMPORTANT**  Don't purchase the cheapest items just to check them off a list. Low-quality items are more likely to break, fail, or underperform. Invest in fewer high-quality items that you can rely on to build a well-equipped kit with reliable gear.

Food

• Quantity: Every time you shop for groceries, grab an extra can or box of non-perishable food and accumulate over time. Buy foods you would normally eat and rotate them out before they expire.
• Variety: Ensure your food supply includes a variety of nutrients to maintain balanced nutrition. Consider long-term storage options like canning or dehydrating food.

Water

• Quantity: Do you have at least a gallon of  water per person, per day for at least 3 days?
• Quality: Ensure your water source is safe for consumption and have a reliable purification method. Store water in clean containers and rotate your supply regularly.

Shelter

• Security: Is your home secure against potential threats such as storms or intruders?
• Comfort: Do you have adequate bedding, blankets, and insulation for extreme conditions?
• Emergency Shelter: Have you identified a safe shelter within your home or a nearby location?

Medical

• First Aid Kit: Is your first aid kit well-stocked and easily accessible?
• Medications: Do you have a sufficient supply of essential medications?

Self-Defense

• Personal Safety: Have you taken self-defense classes or considered personal safety devices?
• Home Security: Are there any security measures you can implement to protect your home?

When you have the skills to take care of yourself and your surroundings,  you'll be better equipped to solve problems and find creative solutions to challenges. Start with the skills that are most relevant to your lifestyle and goals. As you gain proficiency in these areas, you can gradually expand your skillset. 

Suggestions on where to start:

  Basic Survival Skills

• Fire building: Know how to create a fire in various conditions for warmth, cooking, and signaling.
• Water purification: Understand how to purify water for drinking and sanitation.
• Navigation: Basic navigation skills, such as using a compass or relying on natural landmarks, can help you find your way in unfamiliar territory.
• First aid: Learn basic first aid techniques for when first responders aren't available.

Practical Skills

• Gardening and native plant identification: Growing your own food can help lower food bills now, and will become invaluable in times of unsteady situations. Learn how to identify native plants near your home, with importance on knowing what NOT to consume. Use mobile apps such as PlantNet to take photos of plants to gain familiarity.
• Cooking: Cooking skills allow you to prepare meals from scratch, with what you have on hand. It will also help you live a healthier lifestyle by minimizing the reliance on heavily processed foods. MyFridgeFood is a great resource to find recipes with what you already have.
• Home maintenance: Knowing how to perform basic repairs around your home, such as plumbing and electrical work, can save you money in the near future, and may end up saving your life down the road.
• Sewing and patching: By learning how to sew, you can repair/remaking clothing you already have, saving you money and minimizing reliance on disposable fashion.

Once short-term actions like evacuation plans, emergency kits, and communication strategies are established, focus on long-term resiliency activities to ensure that you and your community can bounce back and recover from an unexpected event. 

Energy Production

• Solar Panels: Install solar panels to harness the sun's energy and generate electricity for your home.
• Energy Storage: Consider battery storage for solar panels, or gas-powered generators to sustain through power outages.
• Wind Turbines: If you live in a windy area, consider installing a small wind turbine to produce electricity.
• Energy-Efficiency: Replace older appliances and lightbulbs with energy-efficient models.
• Insulation: Improve your home's insulation to reduce heat loss and gain, leading to lower energy consumption.

Food Production

• Gardening: Start a vegetable garden to grow your own food. Consider fruit trees and shrubs that will grow in your climate.
• Composting: Turn food scraps and yard waste into nutrient-rich compost for your garden.
• Preserving Food: Learn to can, freeze, or dehydrate food to preserve your harvest.

Water Acquisition

• Rainwater Harvesting: Collect rainwater from your roof and store it in tanks for later use.  Ensure proper filtration and treatment of rainwater before using it for indoor purposes.
• Graywater Recycling:  Capture and treat wastewater from sinks, showers, and washing machines (graywater) for reuse in irrigation or toilet flushing. 
• Water-Efficient Appliances:  Upgrade to water-efficient toilets, showerheads, faucets, and washing machines to reduce water consumption.
• Spring Box: These are simple structures built around a spring to capture and channel the water into a storage tank.
• Drill a Well: Depending on your state and vicinity to groundwater, you may want to consider drilling a well. Well water will need to be tested for contaminants regularly and treated if necessary.