By learning about these common prepping mistakes you must avoid, you can make sure that during an emergency you’re prepared to do what you have to do to get yourself and your family to safety.
For people interested in survival and prepping, the best mindset to have is to hope for the best but prepare for the worst. The idea of having to flee your home during a disaster might seem frightening to you. But do you know what’s more frightening? Having to flee your home and not having a plan in place.
During a real disaster where you are forced to bug out (or in some cases bug in), the people who survive are going to be the ones that have planned ahead, starting, for example, with a premade bug out bag.
The following is a list of common mistakes that preppers do, both beginners and experts, and why you need to avoid making them yourself.
Common Prepping Mistakes
1. Not having a bug out plan
Nobody likes to think that the worst is going to happen, but if it does, you better be prepared.
If you want to be able to escape a disaster zone, then you need a plan in place to do so.
2. Telling everyone that you are a prepper
Prepping is not something you should be announcing to the world that you are active in.
One of the biggest things you can do to help you and your family to survive is to remain anonymous.
During a major disaster, people are going to get desperate, and desperation means that they will be willing to do whatever they have to in order to get what they need.
You don’t want your neighbors to know that you are stockpiling food, water, and other precious supplies, because that makes you a target.
3. Not telling family and close friends that you have a bug out or bug in plan
While you shouldn’t be telling random strangers what your bug out or bug in plans are, you definitely need to share that information with your family and close friends.
You need to share it so that if and when the time comes, and you are forced to take action, you can all plan to meet.
You have to remember that during a major disaster cell phones may be down, so it’s important that you have a meeting place and time planned out ahead of time.
4. Lacking outdoor survival skills
No matter what caused the disaster that is forcing you to bug out, one thing a lot of people don’t think of is that they are probably going to be much safer if they avoid cities and stay in the wilderness.
That means that if you want to survive in this manner, you better have the skills it takes to do so. So you need to learn how to find shelter, purify water and make fire. Learning to fish, hunt and gather is also a good idea.
5. Lacking the supplies necessary to survive in the wilderness
So you escaped the disaster, and you and your family are now seeking refuge in the wilderness, away from the crowds. That’s a great way to keep safe, assuming of course that you have the equipment necessary to survive.
Primitive survival skills are great to have, and you should practice making shelters and building fires using friction or other ancient methods. But during a real disaster, you don’t want to be spending unnecessary calories on doing anything you can avoid.
Food is going to be at a premium, so don’t rely on using primitive skills when you can simply be properly prepared with the right food supplies and equipment instead.
6. Not knowing your surroundings
If you want to be able to bug out and escape whatever the threat is that is looming, you need to have a clear understanding of your surroundings.
You need to have multiple avenues of escape planned out so that if one fails you have a fallback option to turn to.
You also need to ensure that you understand what the plant and animal life will be like, in case you need to survive in the wilderness long term.
7. Not being ready for conflict
One thing that people do a lot during stressful situations is panic.
When you put someone in a situation where there is a genuine danger that could cost them their life, their ability to behave in a rational manner quickly disappears.
This is why you need to know how to properly defend yourself and your group if needed.
8. Packing a bug out bag backpack that is too heavy
While not having a bug out bag prepared is a big mistake, trying to bring too much with you can be just as big of a mistake.
You need to make sure that your bug out backpack is packed with items that are essential for your survival.
You need to be practical and remember that you may end up having to carry this bag for a long period of time.
So pack what you need and leave out non essentials.
9. Not planning for your water needs
Lots of people pack and store survival food, but not as many pay attention to what their water needs are going to be.
Obviously you can’t pack up and carry with you a lot of water, but you can carry some.
You can also carry various means of processing water so that you replenish your supplies.
A survival straw, water purification tablets, or a good old fashioned pot to boil water and matches can save your life.
The average person can only survive for about 3 days without water, so make sure that you give this need the respect it deserves.
10. Only planning on bugging in
Should you fortify your home and prepare it in case you have to defend it against hostile people trying to break in? Yes, you should.
Should you count on being able to defend your home against every threat? Absolutely not.
Unless you live in a fortified compound, you can’t expect your home to offer a lot of resistance to invaders during a major disaster.
You should fortify it as best as you can, and then prepare to bug out in the need arises.
11. Not realizing the importance of hygiene
Today we are fortunate enough to live in an age where, if you get sick, you can most of the times go to the doctor, and he or she can help treating you and making you feel better in few days.
But during a real disaster, when there are no doctors around, your health will suddenly become much more of a concern.
That means you need personal hygiene and cleaning supplies, to keep the area you are going to be living in clean and as free of germs as possible.
The last thing you want is to end up with a nasty infection and no medical care to treat it.
12. Not properly maintaining the bug out vehicle
You should always do proper maintenance on your escaping vehicle and have it ready to hit the road at a moment’s notice.
When things suddenly take a turn for the worse, and you need to get yourself and your family out, you need to be able to grab your gear, load up in the car and hit the road.
A lot of people that are dedicated to prepping make the mistake of neglecting the need of keeping their car ready to go at any moment.
You need to keep up with basic maintenance. Make sure your tires are in good shape and that you have a spare. Have some tools loaded in the car as well.
You also need to have extra gas you can carry with you, since you never know when you will be able to fuel up again.
Conclusion
The world is a volatile place, and as much as we all hope that it never happens, there is always a chance of some kind of disaster turning our world upside down.
Maybe it’s a natural disaster, or a major accident. A terrorist attack or global war.
No matter what the cause of the disaster is, the point here is that you need to be ready for it. You need to have a plan and know what to do if the worst happens.
Is there a good chance you will never have to act on your plans? Sure there is. But there’s also the chance that being prepared ahead of time will make a difference.
So pay attention to these common prepping mistakes and avoid them. This information might end up saving you and your family one day.