Start With Food And Water
No matter what fancy survival gear you have, none of that matters if you don’t have food & water, dehydration or starvation will end your journey pretty quick!
It is so important to prioritize food and water, this isn’t an area where you want to sacrifice quality for the sake of saving a few pounds.
With that being said, it’s not that expensive to start stocking up on food and water now, you can purchase canned or dehydrated foods in bulk for a very reasonable price.
Water can be purchased in bulk and stored at a relatively low cost too, though it shouldn’t be your only option. Having water filtration equipment on hand is worth its weight in gold and will keep you alive if you run out.
Stick With The Essentials
Once you have food and water all taken care of, it’s time to think about other items, the kind of equipment that falls into this category should have one of the following traits:
- It’s absolutely essential, like a first aid kit!
- The versatility makes it a no-brainer to include
If something doesn’t have one of the two characteristics above, it’s not essential.
Below are some examples of supplies that make you need, it’s by no means all-inclusive, but it gets you heading in the right direction.
- First aid gear – kits and SAM splints are a must
- Paracord – the king of versatility
- Tarp – extremely versatile as well
- A good multitool
- Survival hatchet
- Duct tape – will always be useful
Find A Bug Out Location
First, you have every prepping and survival expert telling you that you need to get your own piece of land in the event of a catastrophe. It’s one of the most reliable ways to ensure the safety of you and your family, and give you hope for long-term survival.
But buying land can be expensive, so what can you do?
There is a TON of land that most people don’t want to buy because they’re looking at it from the opposite perspective you are. They want to be close to a mall, grocery store, movie theater, etc.
But you want the opposite.
All that stuff is pointless in a SHTF situation, and it puts you too close to other people.
Your other option is to look for public land you can hide away in. This is obviously a lot more budget-friendly but requires a different approach, a good buffer distance and access to water being the main two.
Having this in the back pocket can be great if you can’t get to your intended bug out location, or if things take a turn for the worse before you’re able to buy your own land.
Don’t Skimp On Your Exit Strategy
One of the places you don’t want to be stingy on is the equipment you’ll need to get you out of a crisis, make sure your bug out bag and transportation you’ll be using to ensure that you and your family are away from danger are correct.
You could have a fantastic getaway spot picked out, but if you don’t have what you need to get there it won’t matter.
Fortunately, a lot of these materials have been mentioned earlier in this article. Things like water, food, first aid, clothes, fire-starting materials, and shelter can be picked up for an affordable price. This will keep your budget intact, but also help you get away from the danger.
It’s important to think about your transport too.
Assuming you’ll need your car at some point, it’s important to maintain your vehicle. You don’t want to realize your battery is dead when your safety depends on it.
Spend what it takes to maintain your vehicle and keep it stocked with the essentials. If your destination is more than one tank of fuel then store what you need and replace it periodically.