Prepping 101: Gathering Intel

Welcome to our series of Prepping 101 articles. We will take you from Basic Non-Prepper to Squared Away Prepper without the Christian dogma found on many other prepping sites. (Fair warning: You will get a more pagan, heathen, druid, wiccan, etc. vibe here instead.)

Making the move from a non-prepping stance to a prepping stance is not as easy as one would think. Its best broken down into steps.

Gathering Intel

Research and gathering information is a critical first step. Look, you don’t go buy a car, firearm, or even a home without some research. Do you? Getting started prepping takes the same, if not more, research.

Prepping will involve gathering skill sets and gear. But, what skills and what gear? What supplies will I need? What training do I need? There are some deceitful people out there who will sell you just about anything. This is why doing some pre-prepping planning and gathering intel is critical. Otherwise, you are likely to buy a ton of stuff that ends up being useless and feeling defeated before the SHTF (for the prepping newbies, SHTF means sh*t hits the fan).

Not only will people take your money, but when SHTF, they will take your life if it suits them. Where do you go? What do you do? What will you need? These choices can determine if you live or die. We’ll help you choose wisely.

Internet

The first place to start your research is the World Wide Web. There are thousands if not millions of websites that preach prepping. Some know what they are talking about, while others are reckless and fear-based.

How can you spot a quality prepping website? My thoughts are to look for the sites that:

1. Do not advocate violence.
2. Do not advocate racism.
3. Have very strict rules on behavior of people that participate in the site.
4. Have a mix of free and nominal cost items and classes for prepping.
5. Has reasonable goals and markers for people to achieve.

Our next article will include a list of our favorite prepping websites. This is a series of Prepping 101 article, so be sure to sign up for the Pagan Preparedness newsletter to be notified when new articles are posted!

Books

Gods, there are as many books on prepping as there are on sexual positions. Both fiction and non-fiction prepper books abound, and it’s a great idea to invest in both. There are so many non-fiction books covering everything from general prepping advice to specific skills sets.

Prepping is like having a hundred hobbies. There is a prepping niche for everyone, and lots of books to delve deep into each one. Look for books on homesteading, gunsmithing, gardening, hunting, home canning, primitive skills, water storage, simple construction, living off the grid, cooking from scratch, herbal medicines, foraging, self-defense, and so on.

Giving prepper fiction is a great way to break the ice with friends and family to talk about prepping. Prepper fiction allows you to ask your loved ones, “What would you do if we were hit by an EMP?” Or, “What if we had another deadly flu pandemic, like in 1918?”

We have put together a good list of books that will give you  not break the bank. That will be the next post after our favorite websites.

Television

Yes, I said TV. There are a few good TV shows on prepping. National Geographic’s, Live Free or Die, is a useful one. Yes, it’s a reality TV show. But, it depicts (mostly) non-crazy people surviving and thriving on the minimums. Yes, parts are scripted. But, over all, they are normal people that just want to be left alone.

Also on Nat Geo network is Doomsday Preppers. I’m going to offend a lot of people here and say, IT IS THE MOST STUPID PROGRAM EVER MADE!!!!

Whew got that off my chest.

Yes, it’s stupid. BUT, not without a kernel of useful information. The show is designed for ratings, rather than education. The people listed are Way Out There. (I knew the guy that prepped in his semi.) But, there are items shown, plus techniques and supplies do have a real world use. If you look past the drama, you’ll find a lot to discuss. Both things to give a try and things to avoid.

Just don’t go on TV and tell everyone what you have stashed. K? You may find someone meaner, stronger, and better equipped to take it from you.

Prepping Research Ideas

The thing about prepping is that everyone is somewhere different, at different levels of fitness, and different places financially. These are all going to play a part in what you prep for and how you prep. Before you spend a dime on prepping supplies, take the time to research, discuss, and plan. Start by coming up with your biggest worries and start your research there. Here are a few discussion points to go over with anyone you may want to prep with:

• Type of prepping (Urban, rural, nomad, budget, etc)?
• Does your prepping play a role in your faith?
• Family or lone wolf?
• Bug out or Bug in?
• What do you expect to encounter?
• What do you bring?
• Military or civilian style of a group?

Those are just some of the items to think about.

A little planning now will save you ton of cash and time later.

Next up: Our Top 20 Prepping Websites!