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There has been a sharp rise in the number of Americans getting into “prepping.” I’m a late prepper myself, having only really begun making the necessary changes in my life over the past year or so. But whether you’re an experienced prepper, new to the game, or just interested in making some changes due to all of the crazy things happening in America and across the globe, here are ten things you should be preparing for now.
Watch or listen to today’s episode of The JD Rucker Show on Brighteon, Rumble, Bitchute, or Apple Podcasts.
1. Assess YOUR Situation and Be Honest
The first rule of prepping is to make a plan. Then, share the plan with everyone involved. Practice the necessary parts of the plan. That’s prepping 101.
But no matter what any experts tell you, the most important part of making a plan is assessing YOUR situation. Only you and your family know what assets you have, what risks are around you, and what might happen if things start going south in a hurry.
If there’s an economic collapse, do you have money in different forms available in your home? What if the internet goes down? If you live in a city, do you expect there to be riots? Are your own neighbors trustworthy? If you job starts mandating new vaccines, do you know how to respond? Will you take them? Do you have ways to secure revenue or live off savings if your employers get draconian?
How will you communicate with loved ones in a societal collapse? Should you consider moving out of the city (yes)? Assessing your situation will determine how you handle the rest of the list, what applies, and what you’ve already got covered.
2. Stock Up on Guns and Ammunition
Leftists have been coming after our guns for a long time, but never in American history have they been closer to actually achieving their goals. Unfortunately, more and more Republicans are joining Democrats in adding “incremental” restrictions to firearm ownership in America.
It is going to get harder and harder to acquire firearms and ammunition in the future. The way they see it, they have two-and-a-half years to cripple gun owners in America. And if you think a “red wave” in November is going to fix things, think again. Both possible Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and possible Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy have expressed interest in some degrees of gun control.
Even if they don’t go into full gun-confiscation mode, they’re at least going to try to raise taxes on guns and ammunition exponentially. Local and state governments are already in the process of doing so. The bottom line is this: Firearms and ammunition are not going to be cheaper or more accessible than they are right now. Get them while you can. This is why we picked up our first-ever firearms sponsor.
3. Practice Energy Frugality and Acquire Alternative Energy Sources
We’ve seen what’s been happening with gas prices. That’s just the beginning. This manufactured energy crisis is expanding to electricity, natural gas, propane, and diesel. Rolling blackouts and massive price increases are already getting started.
There was a time when I didn’t see a point in being super-frugal about energy. My father-in-law used to keep all lights off in his house until the sun was completely down and you couldn’t see anything without lights on. Then, he would make sure any room that wasn’t being used had lights off. He’d even turn off his television to get up and use the restroom.
I thought it was silly. I did the math and came to the conclusion a light on all day and night for a month wasn’t much of a change in the electric bill. Today, I’ve taken the opposite approach and adopted my father-in-law’s advice. It isn’t just about saving on bills. It’s about preparing for energy scarcity, something most in this nation have never experienced for long periods of time.
It’s also a best practice to acquire alternative energy production methods such as solar generators. I wish I could make a recommendation here, but after trying out three different solar generators and solar panels, I’m not impressed. Granted, I went cheap on the ones I tried, so I may have to save up and try out the more expensive ones.
Do your research and get solar, wind, or whatever type of personal energy systems you can acquire in case the grid goes down.
4. Stock Up on Food, Especially Proteins
There have been times in the recent past that I’ve talked about beans and rice. The combo forms a proper protein. They’re cheap and available. It made sense to recommend them.
While I’m not going to tell anyone not to stock up on beans and rice, they’re no longer a priority. Their prices haven’t gone up as much as other foods and their availability for now appears normal. Proteins, on the other hand, seem to be fading in availability and rising in price. That’s why I’m now pushing people toward getting as many storable meats as possible.
For any long-term storage foods, proteins or not, we have three sponsors who offer a wide variety of options. Get stocked up as soon as possible. Food is not going to be cheaper in the near future. The only proteins they may offer at some point down the line could be bugs. I won’t be eating bugs.
5. Backup Your Files and Start Storing Important Docs Locally
Way back when, it was a best practice to backup files on floppy disks or external drives. Today, many if not most people have everything in the “cloud” with either copies on their local computer or not at all. This is risky, especially for important documents, because we are one cyberattack or digital collapse away from not having access to the internet for extended periods of time.
Don’t wait for a stock market crash, dedollarization, or CBDCs before securing your retirement with physical precious metals. Genesis Gold Group can help.
A 5-terabyte hard drive on Newegg is around $100. That’s enough space for most Americans to save all their files and even store some movies, shows, documentaries, or whatever digital entertainment or education you may need if the internet crashes.
6. Secure Alternative Meds and Other Medical Supplies
This may be the most challenging prep for many people. Some are dependent on the healthcare system in America staying intact. In a societal collapse, it may be difficult to get the treatments or medications we need.
One thing people can do is search for alternative available treatments, supplements, or natural remedies. It’s not going to work for everything, but we have to do what we can to stay as healthy as possible.
Eyecare and other specific needs that can be stocked up on should be considered. I’m blind without corrective lenses. I now have two pairs of glasses (and will get a couple more when the cash is available) as well as a year’s supply of contact lenses.
Antibiotics may be challenging to acquire in a crap-hits-the-fan situation. I can imagine a near-future scenario when all such prescriptions are only available to those who get the upcoming Omicron-specific jabs. This is why we just picked up a sponsor who offers emergency cases of five antibiotics available through telehealth. It’s easy and designed to last through societal challenges.
7. Prepare for Worse Lockdowns Than Before
Remember two weeks to slow the spread? That lasted two years and required a ton of protests to get them to finally reverse their ineffective policies. What will happen when Pandemic Panic Theater 2.0 and 3.0 hit? Whether it’s BA.5, Monkeypox, Hemorrhagic Fever, or something else, we believe they’re going to hit us with something in the near future, possibly before the midterms.
It behooves us to have enough supplies to wait out the lockdowns, even as we protest them. For some, that might mean two-weeks worth of supplies. Or two-months. Or even two-years.
The reason we want supplies for a lockdown is because I anticipate they will force people who aren’t prepared to jump through hoops. Again, that could be a new jab. It could be adherence to certain policies. If you don’t think something as draconian as a social credit score could never come to the United States, you probably also thought that a disease with a 99.93% recovery rate for healthy people under 50 would never be used to destroy the economy in the United States.
8. Assume the Dollar’s Demise and Plan Accordingly
Diversify and keep your money close. Those are the best practices here. We’re in a recession. Inflation is still skyrocketing. The U.S. Dollar is being attacked by forces in and out of America. It’s not time to be sitting around with all your money in the bank or stock markets.
Many of us have a lot of our financial resources online. What will we do if we don’t have access to it? Having money in multiple forms available at home is smart today and pretty much any time going forward.
Gold and silver are obviously investments I recommend. We have a couple of precious metals sponsors we work with to supply readers and listeners with physical gold and silver. Whether to secure wealth or protect your retirement, it is a good idea to put a good percentage into physical precious metals delivered to your home and/or gold and silver IRAs.
9. Make Friends and Family Aware of Challenges Ahead
One of the things most preppers recommend that I disagree with is keeping your preps secret. No, I’m not saying we should broadcast the fact that we’re prepping to everyone in the neighborhood. But it’s the right thing to do to tell friends and family that you’re prepping, why you are, and why they should be as well.
It’s not all about being a good brother or sister. It’s about building a localized network of people who are better prepared than most. There will be those who work in networks to rob those who have prepared. It makes sense to make a counter-network among your friends and family. Also, refer back to recommendation #2 on this list.
10. Learn and Share the Gospel
I’m not going to get preachy. I’ll leave it by saying if you do only one of these ten things, this is it. Food and water are important. Your soul is infinitely more so.
We are told to share the truth, bringing the Gospel to the nations. For us as individuals, that means sharing it with those who will listen. Read your Bible and pray. Whether society crumbles or not, the most important thing you can ever do is embrace the Gospel and spread it to others.
Image via Shutterstock.
Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
