Believe us.

We were wondering the same thing not so long ago.

It's confusing when you first look into it, to the say the least.

"Do I just buy The Backpack and stick it in the corner until I need it?"

You know the backpack we're talking about it.

"Do I need a portfolio of multiple currencies, passports, and several residences across the globe?"

"Am I suppose to start growing all my own food, raise chickens, and start milking goats?"

To top it off, I'm sure you've run into a plethora of acronyms and seemingly odd phrases.

WTSHTF - When the Shit Hits the Fan

TEOTWAWKI - The End of the World as we Know it

WROL - Without Rule of Law

BOB - Bug Out Bag

Where should you actually begin?

Let's start by making something abundantly clear here.

Rome didn't vanish in a single evening.

It happened slowly, overtime.

If you're worried that you're going to wake up in a Mad Max-esque scenario, surrounded by cannibals, radioactive mutants, and zombies... relax.

You won't.

Moreover, no nation in the world desires to find themselves in the above scenario, so the use of nuclear weapons or something similar is unlikely.

Don't get us wrong here, that doesn't mean something like that is impossible.

Just unlikely.

And if some sort of catastrophic nuclear warfare is on the horizon, I'm sure we'll have at least some kind of premonition beforehand as tensions heat up across the globe.

We'll be well aware of the looming, 'Red Scare,' for example.

In the same way, listening to fear-mongering regarding the 'fall' of the west can be down right depressing, and we suggest you steer clear of it.

The last thing you want to do is paralyze yourself with fear, thinking, "Well, if it's all gonna end, what's the point anyway?"

For all you know, you could still have another fifty years on this planet living in your same part of town.

So what's your first move to get the prepping-ball rolling?

The First Step

Start slowly.

Take it week by week, and tackle each, 'prep goal,' one-by-one. 

Don't attempt to try and do everything all at once--unless your finances and personal life allow it, of course.

Again, remember, you have time.

This does not mean, however, to waste time.

You want to get started immediately so you're ready for whatever may come your way, but, one more time here, remember: Rome did not collapse in a single night.

We'll cover each of these topics below in-depth at their own time, but for now, here's what we suggest you do:

NOTE: For all the resources listed below, DO NOT purchase kindle books or use any resources saved onto your computer. In the chance of an emergency that shutdowns our electrical grid, you WILL NEED paperback references, books, and guides. Purchase the physical resource/book or print whatever it is you that you need online.

Your First Six Moves

• (a) Start regularly stocking up on the basics you're going to need anyway, like toilet paper, shampoo, toothpaste, and so on.
• (b) Change your shopping habits and begin to stock up on extra food each week. As an example, buy a few extra cans of food each trip you take to the grocery store and you'll soon have a small supply.
• (c) Start your very own victory garden. If you don't know where to start, there are a few books on Amazon worth checking out on this topic: Mini-Farming by Brett L. Markham and The Weekend Homesteader by Anna Hess to name a few.
• (d) Build and cultivate self-reliance skills/hobbies. Don't worry, I'm not just going to say that then leave you hanging out to dry as you scratch your head. Here are a few books to check out with respect to this topic as well: The Forgotten Skills of Self-Sufficiency Used by the Mormon Pioneers by Caleb Warnock and Back to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills by Abigail Gehring are two excellent titles on the subject. I'd recommend starting to learn whatever skills feel the most urgent to you.
• (e) Develop emergency contingency plans that will keep you steps ahead of any potential disaster-scenario. This isn't as difficult or complicated as it sounds. To start, aside from checking out more books from the library or amazon, googling 'disaster prep checklists' will help you build up a portfolio of actionable plans when needed--REMEMBER, PRINT THEM OFF!
• (f) Begin to pay special attention to your finances and investments each week. This is a topic I will be delving deeper into over the course of the next few weeks and months, as a short fifty-ish word blurb will not do it justice. Briefly, you should be saving at least 10% of your income, at the very minimum. Moreover, it would behoove you to hedge your cash with precious metals, alongside other portfolio investments. Again, I will go into more depth here at a later time, but for now, I'd highly recommend these two books to get you started: The Prepper's Financial Guide: Strategies to Invest, Stockpile and Build Security for Today and the Post-Collapse Marketplace by Jim Cobb and The Ultimate Suburban Survivalist Guide: The Smartest Money Moves to Prepare for Any Crisis by Sean Brodrick.

Pour Conclure

To recap, you have time, but don't dilly dally!

Prepping can appear to be a downright confusing and often scary subject--if you're fixating on the doom-and-gloom aspect of it all, that is.

Focus on the positive, take your time, yet be vigilant.

Let's review what to do at a glance:

• (a) Start regularly stocking up on the basics each week.
• (b) Change your shopping habits and begin to stock up on extra food each week.
• (c) Start your very own victory garden.
• (d) Build and cultivate self-reliance skills/hobbies.
• (e) Develop emergency contingency plans that will keep you steps ahead of any potential disaster-scenario.
• (f) Begin to pay special attention to your finances and investments each week.

Before I leave you, it's worth noting that there are a few step-by-step 'getting started with prepping' books and plans out there on the web, so if that is something that interests you, check those out too.

• Countdown to Preparedness: The Prepper's 52 Week Course to Total Disaster Readiness by Jim Cobb
• 52 Prepper Projects: A Project a Week to Help You Prepare for the Unpredictable by David Nash
• 1 Year of Prepping: A Month-by-Month Breakdown from BackdoorSurvival.com.

Until next time friends.

Your Pal,

Miles Grant

P.S.

If you're gearing up for your next adventure or prepping for potential disasters, take a peek at our catalog and see if there is anything you need to complete your kit or stow away for the future. 

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Sources

The Ultimate Suburban Survivalist Guide: The Smartest Money Moves to Prepare for Any Crisis by Sean Brodrick