Emergency prep is something everyone should do a little of. I am not a doom and gloom person or worried about the “end of the world”. I do want to be prepared for things like another shutdown. Or, a power outage, losing internet, and going without water for an extended period. These are all things that may come with winter weather where I live.

One of the first things I thought of when preparing for an emergency is that if we do not have internet, we can not simply “Google” or “YouTube” how to do XYZ! We need to have some physical books on our shelves to refer to when needed. For this reason, you will find an extensive book list at the end of this article.

I am sharing what I think are important items to have on hand in case you are “forced” into off-grid living. I’m not an expert and I do not have extensive experience or tips on long-term food storage. I am more focused on basics for beginners with an emphasis on accumulating knowledge and experience in self-reliance before a disaster strikes (living the farm life, etc.). Grab the free printable checklist + planner, too!

Disclaimer: This is not intended to be taken as expert advice, medical advice, or general instructions. This is for informational purposes only, based on my own experiences as a homemaker and homesteader. 

Emergency Prep

Food/water

• As I said, I do not have a detailed list or instructions for this. In general, we would like to keep a year’s worth of basics on hand but, have yet to do so for all of these: such as wheat berries, salt, dried beans/lentils, oatmeal, rice, raw honey, canned foods, meat in the freezer, etc.
• Of course, if the power goes out, freezers and refrigerators are not long-term solutions – and ideally, we would start canning the food from the freezer ASAP (using a wood or propane stove) in case of an extended period without electricity.
• Stock canned food that does not need to be heated – canned tuna/chicken is a top priority (with a can opener). To make it easier to eat – stock up on mayo (shelf stable when unopened, but will require refrigeration once opened, so a few small containers versus one big one makes more sense.) Crackers to go with the tuna/chicken salad will round out the emergency meal. >> The best option: enough pouches of tuna/chicken, single-serve mayo, and crackers for the people in your family. 
• Knowing how to raise food (fruit, vegetables, dairy, protein sources such as meat and eggs, etc.) will go a long way in a survival situation since you can keep doing what you already know how to do.
• Also, learning how to preserve food, especially in shelf-stable ways, will be greatly beneficial.
• Knowing how to make sourdough bread products is super helpful because you just need the wheat, water, and salt to keep baking fresh foods – no need to store baker’s yeast!
• While having some water stored for an emergency is a great idea, it would be even better if you could have a natural, fresh source of water nearby such as a creek or a water well with a hand pump. A rain catch storage system would be a good way to collect water for future use. Having a Berkey water filter system will help make your source of water safe to use. These Portable Personal Water Filtration Systems seem like great items to have on hand for a sudden emergency.
• It is a good idea to stock up on Heirloom seeds so that you can plant a garden.
• The best and easiest way to have long-term food tucked away is to invest in some 5-gallon buckets with gamma lids and just set them out of sight in a cool, dark area – basement, cellar, closet, garage, etc. and rotate through using them while adding fresh supplies.

5 Gallon Food Grade Bucket Pail with Airtight Screw on Lid (Pack of 3) BPA Free Made in USAMontana Milling – Hard Red Spring Wheat Berries | 50 LBS | Sproutable Planet Rice Bulk Sprouted Brown Rice Bulk- 25 lbsRegular Rolled Oats, Organic, Bulk, Oatmeal, Breakfast Food, Non-Gmo, High Fiber (50 Pounds)Roland Foods Sea Salt, Fine Crystal, Specialty Imported Food, 27.55-Pound BucketEmergency Food Storage Supply, 100 LBS, Brown Lentils, Chickpeas, Black Beans, Kidney Beans (25 lbs each)Nutristore Freeze Dried Meat Variety 3-Pack | Hamburger, Beef Dices, Chicken

General Supplies such as

• a standard first aid kit with medical supplies – like THIS
• essential oils (the basics: tea tree, chamomile, lavender, lemon)
• other natural first aid supplements
• OTC fever reducers/painkillers
• flashlights with extra batteries
• candles with matches
• the ability to heat the home or extra blankets/coats/socks
• emergency crank radio
• tools such as a Leatherman multi-tool, hatchet, etc.
• generator with fuel
• solar power setup
• propane tanks
• firewood
• There are many things you may potentially need but you must focus on stocking up on what makes the most sense for you and your current situation (the area you live in – coast, mountains, flatlands, etc.)
• Not many people can go 100% off-grid with an alternative power source, but everyone can have some candles, matches, flashlights, batteries, an emergency radio, a first aid kit, and extra blankets on hand. Do what you can do!

Duracell flashlight with batteriesNatural Beeswax Taper Candles 10100-pack waterproof packs matches12000mAh Emergency Weather Radio, Hand CrankEver Ready First Aid Mylar Rescue Blanket, 20 Count238Pcs Emergency Survival KitFirst Aid Kit – Emergency Medical and Trauma Kit, 196 Pieces

Comfort Items

Toiletries are more comfort items than necessary items but they are important to us nonetheless.

• Keeping an extra month or two of toilet paper, feminine products (keeping reusable on hand would be best), toothpaste, shampoo, soaps, cloth diapers for babies, etc. is a good idea.
• You will need to ration the items if a real emergency happens.
• Having a composting toilet or the ability to convert a bucket to a toilet will be a luxury in a long-term survival situation.
• If you can manage to have these supplies in storage, you will be better off than most others!

Emergency Zone Honey Bucket Style ToiletNatural wood shavings 2/50 LitersMenstrual Cup, ReusableWindsoft 96 Rolls/Carton
Toothpowder, Tooth Cleaning Powder, Flavored Essential Oils with Natural Kaolin & Bentonite Clay, Good for 200+ Brushings,  Vegan Castille Soap Liquid (5 gallon) Cloth Diapers for Babies Reusable and Washable 

Emergency Prep Books:

• prepper/survival
• off-grid projects
• foraging
• farming/animal husbandry
• butchering
• gardening
• canning/preserving
• herbal/home remedies
• first aid/medical
• primitive cooking

Why These Books?

Some of these books we have on our shelves because we refer to them already. Others are simply there for a future emergency when we may not have internet. A few of these books have a detailed list of supplies to have on hand for emergencies. You may just want to get these books for yourself and use them as your guide for further prep!

One author and teacher that I recommend learning survival skills from is Dave Canterbury. For general primitive skills such as cooking and baking in wood-fueled sources, I recommend Townsends. For farm life, I recommend any of Storey’s guides. The Encyclopedia of Country Living is an all-in-one kind of book.

NOTE: These are resources to learn from now – before an emergency happens. Meanwhile, start adding the following books to your library!

GET THESE EMERGENCY PREP BOOKS FROM AMAZON

Prepper’s Long-Term Survival GuideThe Lost Book of Herbal RemediesBushcraft 101: A Field Guide to the Art of Wilderness SurvivalThe Lost WaysThe Encyclopedia of Country Living, 50th Anniversary EditionThe Forager’s Guide to Wild FoodsButchering Poultry, Rabbit, Lamb, Goat, and PorkBall Blue Book GuideCountry Wisdom & Know-How: Everything You Need to Know to Live Off the LandThe Complete Book of Essential Oils and AromatherapyStorey’s Guide to Raising Dairy GoatsThe Country Housewife’s Family CompanionThe Lady’s AssistantThe Universal Cook, or Lady’s Complete Assistant

I believe it is helpful to subscribe to some old-fashioned magazines that focus on teaching self-sufficiency. Save them as part of your emergency prep to refer to in the future. They have a variety of authors and content covered in each issue, so you are getting advice from multiple sources. A couple that we receive in those genres are Plain Values and Backwoods Home Magazine.

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