Prudent Prepper
Sensible advice. No hysteria.
I Didn’t Prep! What Now?!
Prepping Prudently
A deliberate, moderate approach to acquiring emergency supplies is sustainable and affordable
Too Late! EMERGENCY!
Take these immediate steps to assess your need and plan emergency acquisition of supplies
What Is Prepping?
Who Is It For?
Prepping (as opposed to doomsday prepping) is the methodical, disciplined approach to acquiring, storing, and maintaining supplies of food, water, first aid, lighting, and other essentials for use in the event of an emergency.
Prepping is for everyone.
My grandparents and great-aunts and great-uncles prepped, although they would not have called it that.
They were being prudent and sensible.
If your granddad kept an extra can of gasoline in the garage, he was thinking like a prudent prepper. If your grandma made pickles, put up jam or jellies in the pantry, or canned beans or peas, she was thinking like a prudent prepper. When you buy the bulk size of ground beef or chicken or tofu, and freeze some for later, you’re thinking like a prudent prepper, too.
I don't believe civilization will collapse. Should I prepare?
The short answer is yes. Prudent prepping isn’t about preparing for a general collapse of civil order or extreme survival situations; rather, it’s about ensuring your household has what it needs in an emergency of any sort that could overwhelm responders, services, or grocery stores. Remember when the meat, dairy, pasta, bread, and cleanser aisles were empty during COVID-19? People will respond to that in the future by depleting the shelves sooner at the hint of shortages.
I don't have a lot of storage space.
You don’t need a lot of space to ensure you have enough food and water for two weeks, which is enough time to determine whether you’re better off where you are or relocating. And you have more storage space than you probably think you do. Take a look at this post on finding unexpected storage space.
I don't know how much food and water I need.
This is a somewhat complicated decision over time. However, a good baseline is 15 gallons of water per person and roughly 25,000 balanced calories per person to support two weeks. I know it seems like a lot, so take a look here to understand the reasoning behind these amounts.
What should I have *right now*?
For just yourself, you should have 15 gallons of water, twenty pounds of rice, and either five pounds of dried beans or five 1 lb. bags of dried bean soup. This will provide good nutrition for two weeks. Read here for more information.
When should I start preparing?
Ideally, you should have started six months before the COVID-19 pandemic to make things easier. If you’re just now starting, don’t panic. Read here to learn more about starting quickly.
Slow and Steady Wins The Race
Helping You Prep For An Emergency Without Pain
Prepping doesn’t have to be arduous, extreme, or budget-busting. Prepping is a sensible, practical approach to reducing the risk associated with a sudden need to have safe food, water, and supplies when faced with the absence of normal sources.
Will you have enough drinking water?
Will you have enough food?
Will you have lights without utility power?
What is needed for first aid?
Beginner Prep
Straightforward, easy to follow steps for sensible prepping for a 2-week stay-home emergency
Intermediate Prep
Extending your preparedness for up to three months
Community Prep
Households working together can greatly extend community preparedness
Advanced Prep
Considerations for prepping in case of prolonged unavailability of grocery stores and utility water
About Prudent Prepper
Prudent Prepper’s mission is to provide sensible, reasonable, easy-to-follow guidance on preparing for emergencies. Our aim is to deliver useful information applicable to everyone in a way that is scalable for every reader’s personal circumstances.
You will find original content developed by contributors with many years’ experience in practical prepping, along with links to vetted resources across a large spectrum of emergency preparation.
Testimonials
“Thanks! Your recommendations helped me make sense of a lot of conflicting information!”
“I didn’t want to deal with a lot of the hysteria and fear tactics all over the web. Your advice helped me think about stocking up in other ways.”
“I’m really glad I talked to you about what to get for my family. I didn’t want to spend a lot unnecessarily and end up with the wrong things.”